Public condemn statement and acts of Hanoi archbishop

Hanoi (VNA) - A recent statement of Hanoi archbishop Ngo Quang Kiet has
disappointed Vietnamese people of different walks of life and many people
said that Kiet is not qualified to represent a major religion in the capital
city.

"It is unbelievable that a learned man like Ngo Quang Kiet, who holds a
high position in the Catholic church, said that he "felt ashamed'' when
holding the Vietnamese passport," said Prof. Dr. Nguyen Nang An, President
of the Hanoi Union of Scientific and Technical Associations.

An said Kiet's words hurt the intellectuals and people's national pride,
including the patriotic Catholic intellectuals, who have made marked
contributions to the nation.

Tran Thi Sang, a Catholic in the Nam Hai parish in southern Dong Nai
province's Bien Hoa city said that her family and other Catholic people feel
discontented when they saw how Catholic people claimed for land at 42 Nha
Chung and 178 Nguyen Luong Bang, Hanoi, especially with the Hanoi archbishop's
statement. "The love of God and people means doing charity work. We,
ourselves are Vietnamese, should live and abide by Vietnamese law," she
said.

Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Nguyen The Thao received Hanoi's
archbishop Ngo Quang Kiet and clergymen on Sept. 20 morning, one day after
receiving the Catholic church's petition on land at 42 Nha Chung.

In his statement made at the reception, which was then broadcast on the
national television, Ngo Quang Kiet said: "We went abroad many times, we
felt extremely ashamed when holding the Vietnamese passports."

The statement of the Hanoi archbishop has shocked the public nationwide
over the past week.

Most of religious followers were surprised at the archbishop's defiance of
law and insulting words, said Nguyen Van Can, a Catholic at Noi Bai parish
in Binh Xuyen district, Vinh Phuc province. "We are very disappointed with
the senior dignitary's way of thinking," he added.

Un Ngoi from Dak Lei district in Central Highlands Dak Lak province
considered Kiet's words a serious outrage upon the Vietnamese people's
national pride, saying that the statement is unforgivable and Kiet is a
person without fatherland.

On September 21, the Hanoi People's Committee gave a written warning to
archbishop Ngo Quang Kiet of the Hanoi Archdiocese for slandering local
authorities, disregarding law and directly inciting and encouraging law
violations.

The dispatch wrote Kiet's systematic acts over the recent past reflect his
defiance of law, that he has never renounced his intention of illegally
claiming land and that he has failed to properly perform his duty in his
capacity as archbishop of the Hanoi Archdiocese as well as duty of a citizen
to the country and the nation. He has sowed division among the national
great unity bloc and gone against the motto of "doing good for both the
religion and the nation" of religious people in Vietnam .

When asked about the issue, many Vietnamese raised a question if Kiet still
deserves to be the archbishop of the Hanoi Archdiocese.

"Ngo Quang Kiet has separated himself from the nation. A person like him,
definitely, is not a true Vietnamese and is not worthy of practicing
religion," said Duong Le, a resident at Truong Chinh precinct in Central
Highlands Kon Tum town.

Maria Bui Thi Lien, 48, in northern Hoa Binh city, said the God teaches
believers to do good things while archbishop Kiet instigates parishioners'
unrests to demand the return of land, causing public disorder. He,
particularly, has insulted the national pride, Lien said.

The Hanoi People's Committee's written warning against Kiet and some other
priests is not strong enough, the Catholic follower also said, stressing the
need to propose the Vatican to dismiss him from his current position and
the municipal authorities to expel him from Hanoi .

"No one has the right to insult the country and disregard the forefather.
Only betrayers of the nation's interest can have such words and deeds,"
Prof. Dr. Nguyen Nang An said.

With his self-righteous words and defiance of law, Ngo Quang Kiet has
separated himself from the community and neither deserves to be a Vietnamese
citizen nor deserves to have Vietnamese nationality, the professor said.

A n said that Kiet's intention to incite priests and extremist parishioners
to oppose the authorities, breach law and disturb public order shows his
disqualification to represent a major religion in the capital city.-Enditem