Following is the translation of Father Nguyen Van Ly's Statement on the state of the Catholic Church of Vietnam. The Statement was written in 1994 and re-released in November 2000.

To All People of Goodwill around the World,

Ladies and gentlemen,

I do not intentionally describe the state of the Catholic Church and other faiths in Vietnam in general because I may lack some of the precise supporting details. However, from the state of the Hue diocese, you can have an idea on the state of the entire Catholic Church and all other churches in Viet Nam.

Hue Diocese has recently had an archbishop with full authorities as the Vicar-General of the Office after 5 years of waiting [for Government's permission], recently ordained 5 new priests after 18 years of barrenness, recently obtained the permit to reopen the main seminary after 18 years of shutting down. Does that mean religious life here is becoming free and full of excitement? Absolutely not!

Below are some illustrations of the state of the Hue Diocese:

1.- Seminary Hoan Thien, at 11 Dong Da road in Hue, has been taken by force by the government since December,1979 and turned into the Nguyen Chi Dieu High school. As a result, almost 300 seminarists were dispersed to home study and the wait for [the government's] check of personal political background and permission to fill the few precious seats granted by the government at the Main Seminary. This Seminary [Hoan Thien] has been known to the Hue Diocese and people in the city as the place to train future priests. The Government, however, insisted it was a private high school and therefore, must be confiscated.

Over 100 seminarists have been expelled by the Government from the Seminary Hoan Thien and the Hue Main Seminary since 1979. Without any place to study, some had to flee to other countries for further training to become priests. About 15 seminarists are now waiting without knowing when they would be allowed to join the Main Seminary. What fault did they commit? Is this not the oppression of religion?

2.- The right to ordain and appoint bishops, the right to travel to administer the Eucharist of Confirmation, the right to ordain and appoint priests, and the right to enroll seminarists, in principle, belong to the Church "without the government intervention" (the words of [the Secretary General of the Vietnamese Communist Party,] Do Muoi). In reality, however, everything is subjected to Government's approval. It said: "[The Church] has the right to hold all legitimate activities but it must first apply for permission".

During the 261 years of persecution (1625-1886), although many bishops, priests, seminarists had to hide and sometimes face arrest and death but these sacred rights had never been lost. the Church always took the initiative in its consecration and appointment of personnel as it saw fit. Nowadays, even though [the Government] claims [people are living] in "freedom", in reality, the Church can do little by itself and has to extend its hands asking for favors from the Government. The Church cannot choose, consecrate, or appoint the clergies it considers appropriate and necessary. The Government determine the number of main seminaries in operation, the number of seminarists for each diocese and the time for the enrollment exams as if the main seminaries were the training ground for Government's cadres! What gave the Government the right to order those numbers? People should only respond to God's calling and subject only to the training capability of the Church. This is God's calling and not Marxist calling nor Socialist calling! In the last 18 plus years, the Government has denied the Hue Diocese about 80 new priests that the Church could have produced under normal condition.

The Government interferes blatantly in the Church's affairs and applies pressure to maneuver the Church in its direction according to the absolute principles of "the government must be in total control" and "the Government's laws are supreme". The ultimate goal is to turn the Church into a bendable, loyal, and docile subordinate. This intention was embedded in many ploys such as: "Only things that are good for Life are good for Faith", "Freedom within the Boundary", "Reverence to God must parallel Love to Socialism". It is the Church's hesitation in loving Socialism that has brought on so much harassment. And the more severely the Church is tied up, the harder it is to love the authoritarian ideology that forces everyone to learn and love it at all cost. Every student from the first grade to college level must all imbued in the fundamental "truth" that "Patriotism today is to love Socialism". The monopoly of thought is indeed the most horrible and vicious of all!

3.- The former acting Archbishop Jacob Le van Man was elected by the Council of Counselors according to the Church canons as the Archbishop of Hue in 1990. In the last 4 years, all members of Hue Diocese obeyed him as the Church ordained official. The Government, however, continued to refuse to recognize his appointment and consequently generated all kind of difficulty for the Church. Is that not a brutal interference in the Church's affairs? Had the Archbishop committed any crime, the Government could go ahead and arrest him and try him according to the laws. Had he lacked the necessary capabilities or morality, the Council of Counselors would not have elected him and the Vatican Holy See would not have approved the recommendation. Then why was the Government still not satisfied? Was it because he did not

love Socialism wholeheartedly? The acting Archbishop Nicholas Huynh van Nghi of the Saigon Diocese was in the similar situation. What give the Government the right to disapprove their appointments?

4.- The enrollments of students for men and women Religious Orders had to be disguised under various forms. To the day they take the oath of dedication for life to become clergies, not many of them, after 19 years of training, could add their names to the [Government issued] "household registration book" of the Orders. They continued to "lead secret religious life". Forming new congregation is as difficult as floating oneself in the air. The Religious Order of Children of Immaculate Mother (in Phu Xuan, Kim Long) had a convent house that was rented by the Government for 18 years without a single payment. In theory, the Government is ready to return the house at any time. But waiting until when? The nuns continued to live outside their convent!

5.- People in the new economic zones and remote areas of Quang Binh, Khe Sanh, Binh Dien, Nam Dong, A Luoi only wish for a mass at Christmas and Easter time but could hardly be satisfied. Invoking one reason after another, the Government continue to refuse permits to build new churches or to let priests outside the areas to come to celebrate masses and bring communions to them. How could [the Government] call that normal, prosperous, and exuberant religious life?

6.- The Church always want to work with [the Government] on education, public health, public information, and social works but [all it can do is ] waiting for the Government's permission to reopen its schools, clinics, orphanages, houses for the handicapped, cultural centers which have been taken by the Government.

[The Government's condition for] the Church to publish a periodical or to have a printing house to propagate its religious books is to "firmly embrace Socialism" or at least [to promise] not to criticize the Government ever. How long will it take for the freedom of opinion, freedom to express one's faith, freedom to preach the Gospel and the Truth, freedom to choose school and subjects of study for one's children to become normal facts of life here?

7.- In the past, facing the strong opposition from the late Archbishop of Hue Diocese Nguyen Kim Dien, the Government failed to set up the Patriotic Catholic Solidarity Committee. At the present time, the Government has invited some priests and priests-in-training to join the People's Council, a state organ, or the state's Fatherland Front. Their intention is to use a number of priests to propagate Socialism and expand support for the regime.

Following are some general outlines of the Catholic Church of Vietnam and a few personal aspirations:

8.- I dare not call any Archbishop or any priest as "state owned". I think they might be struggling very hard, even in tears, to find ways to expand the congregation and to be able to practice the faith with less difficulty. However, what benefits they might gain at present time cannot compensate for the long term damage and the distortion of the image of the Church that has always valiantly built the Heavenly Kingdom, fearlessly preached the voice of conscience, boldly criticized all injustice and wrong no matter where they came from. Instead, we are building the image of a feeble Church which is more and more submissive [to the Government] for some immediate conveniences. We only know of the collaboration and not the resistance part in Pope John Paul II’s formula of "collaboration in resistance". [And that attitude] has discouraged the majority of God's people and people of goodwill who used to have great respect for the Catholic Church of Vietnam. Should we twist our tongues [in trying to appease the Government] with words like "exuberant", "excited", "wise", "appreciative" to exchange for less work difficulty and even some privileges?

9.- I might be condemned for not concentrating on the areas of education, health care, and social works but still persisting in a noisy demand for freedom of religion. It is easy to understand that only with freedom of religion could the Church contribute to the prevention of evils, to the advancement of society, and to the introduction of many enthusiastic Christians to the service of society in all areas. The freedom of conscience and freedom of religion are the foundation to obtain and secure all other legitimate freedoms. I myself very much wish to live quietly to serve my calling. However, above all else, from my passion for God and my love for other human beings, I have to fight for true freedom of religion. I will continue my quest until Vietnam has a normal religious life as in the majority of the countries in the world. In these countries, people never ask and the Government has no need to repeat the refrain [as in Vietnam]: "The Government guarantees the freedom of religion", "The Government is absolutely consistent in its policies on religions". Reading the two petitions of the Vietnamese Bishops Council to the Prime Minister on October 18,1992 and October 26,1993 one could see the Catholic Church of Vietnam is in short of so many fundamental rights. The Council, however, only sends petitions and waits, and waits!

Contrasting Articles 18 and 19 of the United Nations' Human Rights Declaration on December 10, 1948 (of which Vietnam became a signatory in 1977), Vatican II Council's Declaration of Freedom of Religion on December 7,1965 and its Declaration on Christian Education on October 28,1965, which fundamental rights does the Catholic Church of Vietnam have today?

10.- Some might criticize that while other priests have accepted the fate and even feel content about all things, why I am still voicing a lone demand for freedom of religion -- Since 1975, I have been imprisoned twice and currently placed under detainment for struggling for freedom of religion. Naturally, there should be both kinds. Many people, in many ways, have fought like me or even harder than me. But there are also those who consider it wise to stay low to be able to continue the service of the Church. Indeed, if all priests end up in prisons, who would carry out the services?

I hope the true Christians and all people of goodwill will agree with my above 10-point statement. I believe that, many generations of Christians have, are, and will respond to God's call to be His messengers just like Moses, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, etc. did in the last 3,000 years: "Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me", Exodus 5:1; "Whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak", Jeremiah 1:7; "Be not afraid of them", Ezekiel 2:6.

Though unworthy, I do pledge to follow the examples of the Vietnamese Martyr Saints; clergyman John Marcel Nguyen Tan Van, who died from exhaustion in prison on July 10,1959 at Camp Yen Binh 2 near Hanoi; the silent Church and Bishops Council in China today; and the late Archbishop Phillip Nguyen Kim Dien, who suffered and died for the Faith on June 08, 1988 in Saigon. However, if anyone intentionally attempts on my life he obviously also violates Article 19 of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights.

Please pray for me every day so that I have enough courage to fulfill the duty entrusted by God to me and I cannot shift that responsibility to anyone else. "God has pointed out a position for me to stand, which I have no right to run from" -- Letter to Mr. Diognetos in the Bible.

I am placing this statement under the blessing of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Our Lady of La Vang, Saint Joseph, the Vietnamese Martyr Saints, and the sponsorship of the international human rights organizations.

Please publicize this statement to help our country regain the true freedom of religion and the freedom of conscience. I sincerely thank you.

[Written in] Hue, on the occasion of commemorating the Vietnamese Martyr Saints November 24, 1994

A humble priest of Hue Diocese: Tadeo Nguyen Van Ly

On the 6th anniversary of the above statement and commemorating the Vietnamese Martyr Saints November 24, 2000

(Signed and sealed)

Tadeo Nguyen van Ly

Residence: Nguyet Bieu Catholic Church, Thuy Ben District, Hue

Mailing Address: 37, Phan Dinh Phung street, Hue, Viet Nam