We, the undersigned Vietnamese priests abroad, want to express our great concern about the present urgent situation of Vietnam's religious life in general, and the life of the Vietnamese Catholic Church in particular.

Though living and serving away from the Fatherland, we as Vietnamese and as priests remain attached to our people and country. We always pray for our people to be truly free and for our country to be prosperous, in which every Vietnamese is loved and respected in accordance with his or her human dignity.

As for religious life in Vietnam, we are convinced that religious freedom is absolutely a basic and spiritual need for man and society. For the future of Vietnam, religious freedom is not only a legitimate demand but also a matter of human rights that needs to be urgently solved. Vietnam will lose an opportunity to create a bright future if the Vietnames people do not have true religious freedom. The history of Vietnam has proved that religious life is strongly tied with the destiny of the people. Once religion is free, society will be peaceful and healthy and a human development will be secured for the country.

It is unfortunate for the Vietnamese people that what is happening in our country increasingly proves that religion is at risk of being used as an instrument by the Vietnamese Communist Government and enslaved by it to the point of dying away in the end. Using this as its strategy involves agonizing policies of the legal system (especially the procedure of begging the government permission and policies of discrimination), unreasonable administrative system, "divide and conquer" causing division among leaders of the same religion, etc. All of these aim to deprive religious belief of sacred values and to render it meaningless and finally useless. Religious freedom in Vietnam is being distorted and trampled brutally and shamelessly by the Vietnamese Communist Government. The present conditions of society are unstable and only conducive to bribery and power abuse at all levels. In the face of these great social problems, religious organizations do not have a right to truly speak out. If they say anything, they must espouse the policies of the government.

Concerning the Vietnamese Catholic Church, we are in one accord with the pastoral approach of the Vietnamese Episcopal Conference as stated in the Joint Letter May 1, 1980: "To live the Gospel in the midst of the people." It is also for the sake of living the Gospel in the midst of the people that we cannot fail to share the common concern of our people as stated in the above observations.

***

In the spirit of those observations, we, the undersigned Vietnamese priests abroad, want to declare our position regarding several urgent issues of the present situation of religions in Vietnam as follows:

1. We fervently support the spirit of self-engagement of Reverend Thaddeus Nguyeãn-Vaên-Lyù, a Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Hueá, and his demands regarding true religious freedom. At the same time, we also support other religious leaders' legitimate demands regarding religious freedom. We demand that the Vietnamese Communist Government guarantee religious leaders' safety and security and their right to freely exercise religious duties.
2. We demand the Vietnamese Communist Government, for the sake of the future of our people and country, bring to an end religious persecution and insidious and malicious strategy, which is ordered to use religions in Vietnam as instruments leading to their destruction.
3. We call upon freedom loving governments and international human rights organizations to defend the values of human rights, which are being trampled on in Vietnam, especially the right to religious freedom according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Declared in Washington, D.C.
On the Fifteenth of August, 2001
Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Body and Soul, into Heaven

Signed by the following Vietnamese priests abroad:

1. Rev. Msgr. Dominic Mai-Thanh-Löông, Archdiocese of New Orleans, USA.
2. Rev. Joseph Ñinh-Coâng-Huyønh, Archdiocese of Philadelphia, USA.
3. Rev. Peter Nguyeãn-Thanh-Long, Archdiocese of Washington, USA.
4. Rev. Joachim Traàn-Quyù-Thieän, Diocese of Arlington, USA.
5. Rev. Andrew Nguyeãn-Höõu-Leã, Diocese of Auckland, New Zealand.
6. Rev. Paul Traàn-Xuaân-Taâm, Archdiocese of Washington, USA.
7. Rev. Joseph Traàn-Kim-Thieän, Archdiocese of Philadelphia, USA.
8. Rev. Vincent Nguyeãn-Höõu-Duï, O.P., Canada.
9. Rev. John Ñinh-Xuaân-Minh, Diocese of Mainz, Germany.
10. Rev. Joseph Phaïm-Xuaân-Thaéng, Diocese of Richmond, Virginia, USA.
11. Rev. Joseph Nguyeãn-Phuù-An, Diocese of Camden, New Jersey, USA.
12. Rev. Joseph Toáng-Thieän-Lieân, Diocese of Dallas, Texas, USAø.
13. Rev. Joseph Phaïm-Thanh-Löông, Diocese of Camden, New Jersey, USA.
14. Rev. Joseph Traàn-Vaên-Huaân, Archdiocese of San Antonio, Texas, USA.
15. Rev. Vincent Kim-Vaên-Toan, Diocese of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
16. Rev. Anthony Ngoâ-Kim-Traïng, Diocese of Richmond, Virginia, USA.
17. Rev. Dominic Vuõ-Ngoïc-An, Archdiocese of Washington, USA.
18. Rev. Peter Phaïm-Vaên-Chính, Diocese of St Petersburg, Florida, USA.
19. Rev. Joseph Phaïm-Vaên-Tueä, Archdiocese of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
20. Rev. John Baptist Nguyeãn-Huøng-Laân, O.F.M., Diocese of Bruxelles, Belgium.
21. Rev. Matthias Vuõ-Ngoïc-Ñaùng, Diocese of San Jose, California, USA.
22. Rev. Peter Ñinh-Ngoïc-Queá, C.Ss.R., Archdiocese of Los Angeles, USA.
23. Rev. Alphonsus Nguyeãn-Hoà-Ñænh, Diocese of Pontoise, France.
24. Rev. Vincent Phan-Höõu-Toøa, Archdiocese of Mobile, Alabama, USA.
25. Rev. John Vuõ-Haân, Archdiocese of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
26. Rev. Peter Phan-Phaùt-Huoàn, C.Ss.R., Archdiocese of Los Angeles, USA.
27. Rev. John Nguyeãn-Thaønh-Chung, Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
28. Rev. Joseph Phaïm-Maïnh-Cöôøng, Diocese of Camden, New Jersey, USA.
29. Rev. Joachim Nguyeãn-Dao-Kim, Diocese of Galveston-Houston, Texas, USA.
30. Rev. Joseph Hoaøng-Minh-Thaéng, Archdiocese of Rome, Italy.
31. Rev. Vincent Nguyeãn-Vaên-Kieân, Diocese of Honolulu, USA.
32. Rev. Peter Nguyeãn-Vaên-Huøng, S.S.C., Taiwan.
33. Rev. Alexis Ñoaøn-Quang-Tröôøng, Diocese of Hsinchu, Taiwan.
34. Rev. Peter Nguyeãn-Huøng-Cöôøng, M.M., New York, USA.
35. Rev. Joachim Vuõ-Ñình-Thoân, Diocese of Chiayi, Taiwan.
36. Rev. Joseph Nguyeãn-Minh-Chính, Archdiocese of Taipei, Taiwan.
37. Rev. Andrew Traàn-Cao-Töôøng, Archdiocese of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
38. Rev. Joseph Nguyeãn-Theá-Quang, Archdiocese of Birmingham, London, England.
39. Rev. Anthony Traàn-Höõu-Laân, Archdiocese of Seattle, Washington, USA.
40. Rev. Joseph Ngoâ-Quang-Ñònh, Archdiocese of Tokyo, Japan.
41. Rev. Christopher Leâ-Huy-Baûng, C.Ss.R., Houston,Texas, USA.
42. Rev. Joseph Mai-Thaønh-Haân, Archdiocese of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
43. Rev. John Traàn-Ngoïc-Bích, C.Ss.R., Diocese of Tucson, Arizona, USA.
44. Rev. Joseph Ñoaøn-Huy-Chöông, Diocese of Galveston-Houston, Texas, USA.
45. Rev. Paul Chu-Vaên-Chi, Archdiocese of Sydney, Australia.
46. Rev. Dominic Nguyeãn-Vaên-Ñoài, Archdiocese of Sydney, Australia.
47. Rev. Canut Nguyeãn-Thaùi-Hoaïch, Archdiocese of Sydney, Australia.
48. Rev. Joachim Ñoaøn-Só-Thuïc, Archdiocese of Sydney, Veritas Radio, Philippines.
49. Rev. Joseph Vuõ-Minh-Nguyeân, Archdiocese of Sydney, Australia.
50. Rev. Dominic Mai-Minh-Luaän, Diocese of Springfield Cape Girardeau, USA.
51. Rev. Joseph Chu-Coâng, O.Cist., Diocese of Worcester, Massachusetts, USA.
52. Rev. Joachim Nguyeãn-Ñình-Ñaøm, Diocese of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
53. Rev. Joseph Vuõ-Xuaân-Tröôøng, Diocese of Brooklyn, New York, USA.
54. Rev. Joseph Leâ-Phuïng, C.Ss.R., Diocese of Galveston-Houston, Texas, USA.
55. Rev. Paul Leâ-Anh-Vöõng, S.V.D., Diocese of San Bernadino, California, USA.
56. Rev. Anthony Traàn-Trí-Tueä, Diocese of Hsinchu, Taiwan.
57. Rev. Thomas Ñoã-Minh-Taâm, Diocese of St. Paul Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
58. Rev. Mark Ñoaøn-Quang-Baùu, C.M.C., Archdiocese of Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
59. Rev. Peter Vuõ, Diocese of Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA.
60. Rev. Michael Nguyeãn-Linh-Ghi, Diocese of Chiayi, Taiwan.
61. Rev. Joseph Tröông-Vaên-Phuùc, Diocese of Hsinchu, Taiwan.
62. Rev. Peter Leâ-Vaên-Quaûng, Diocese of Hsinchu, Taiwan.
63. Rev. Dominic Ñinh-Duy-Khieâm, Diocese of Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA.
64. Rev. Joseph Ñaøo-Vaên-Nhöôøng, Archdiocese of Saøi Goøn, Retired, Louisiana, USA.
65. Rev. Peter Leâ-Thanh-Quang, Diocese of Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.
66. Rev. Peter Nguyeãn-Thanh-Baèng, Incarnational Consecration (Hereafter: I.C.), Archdiocese of New Orleans, USA.
67. Rev. Francis Nguyeãn-Vaên-Hoøa, Archdiocese of Oklahoma, USA.
68. Rev. Vincent Traàn-Ñình-Phuùc-Quyù, Archdiocese of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
69. Rev. Louis Nguyeãn-Haäu, C.Ss.R., Archdiocese of Paris, France.
70. Rev. John Nguyeãn-Kim-Ngoân, Diocese of Meaux, Paris, France.
71. Rev. Joseph Vuõ-Ngoïc-Chaâu, Archdiocese of Taipei, Taiwan.
72. Rev. Peter Döông-Baù-Hoaït, Diocese of Chiaya, Taiwan.
73. Rev. Vincent Traàn-Quang-Ñieàm, Diocese of Orange, California, USA.
74. Rev. Joseph Chaâu-Xuaân-Baùu, C.Ss.R., Diocese of Dallas, Texas, USA.
75. Rev. Joseph Nguyeãn-Vaên-Thaùi, Archdiocese of Chicago, Illinois, USA.
76. Rev. Peter Nguyeãn-Ñình-Ñeä, Diocese of San Jose, California, USA.
77. Rev. Paul Phaïm-Vaên-Hoäi, Diocese of Orange, California, USA.
78. Rev. Joseph Nguyeãn-Coâng-Hoaùn, Diocese of Fresno, California, USA.
79. Rev. Philip Nguyeãân-Vaên-Hieáu, Diocese of Sioux City, Iowa, USA.
80. Rev. Peter Ñoã-Quang-Chaâu, Diocese of Nasville, Tennessee, USA.
81. Rev. Philip Ñinh-Vaên-Thieäp, Diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA.

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