Fresh in the mind of the Tam Toa faithful are vivid memories of how they encountered violence and death threats as a result of their effort to rebuild the church already in ruin on July 20, 2009 when their religious needs happens to be in conflict with the interest of the government. As they were setting up a makeshift tent for church service on the ground of the old Tam Toa church ruins, provincial police came to attack them, leaving hundreds injured and dozens were taken away by the police. Even the two local priests Fr. Paul Nguyen Dinh Phu and Fr. Peter Nguyen The Binh were beaten severely, igniting an outraged reaction from Catholics and non-Catholics alike throughout the country and around the world.
Facing tough criticism at the inhumane way Tam Toa incident was handled, Quang Binh government withdrew their uniformed law enforcement forces from the scene, but they began to send henchmen with violent nature out to create a culture of fear among Tam Toa faithful. All these hooligans did was roaming the street looking for any Catholic victim to harass, assault, rob and threaten to deter them from coming to Tam Toa to offer their support to fellow Christians.
Simultaneously the state controlled media also began to make false, ugly accusations against people whom they viewed as leaders of this "isolated incidents". However their ignoble attempt was quickly recognized and condemned by the public and began to ease off.
All the maneuvers took place while bishop Paul Maria Cao Dinh Thuyen was away from home, attending an Adlimina visit in Rome. The 83 year old shepherd upon receiving the terrible news from his home diocese returned and took the role of a leader and a protector in demanding the government hands off his flock. Under his leadership and guidance, 178 parishes throughout the diocese of Vinh stood firm and held massive protest on several occasions to demand justice for Tam Toa and its faithful.
On the Aug. 2 and again on Aug. 15 demonstration, co-incidentally on the feast of the Assumption, which was reportedly joined by 200,000 Christians throughout Vinh diocese, the bishop in his seemingly feeble physical had expressed his pain and agony upon the news of the faithful from his diocese being threatened, assaulted; their daily activities even their livelihoods have become in peril because of police constant harassment.
He also dismissed the criticism aimed at his priests by local authority which has been widely broadcasted, accusing (the priests) of being disobedient to their superior by "trampling on the laws of the country” and “inciting the faithful into the illegal constructing a house” ad praised the congregation for their union, communion and support they had been offering to the people of Tam Toa. One of the statements he made during this rally has become historical "Vinh diocese doesn't have just one Cao Dinh Thuyen but rather 500,000 Cao Dinh Thuyen", prompting so much appreciation and admiration not only from his faithful in Vinh but also from Vietnamese Catholics around the world.
The bishop also condemned the "extreme and wrongful measures Quang Binh police had taken against Tam Toa faithful and priests". He however called for the congregation to "live in accordance with the Bible, as the Church doesn't encourage violence and abuse, but rather express our faith and pray, putting everything in God's hands, and do hid will "
Under his leadership, Vinh faithful are patiently waiting for the government to reconsider their decision to turn their beloved church into a politically motivated tourist attraction, however one has to wonder if their effort has been invested in a wrong authority and their hope to resume worshiping services in their beloved church has gone in smoke with the latest action by Quang Binh government's action in recent days.
Emily Nguyen
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