Letter to Bishop Skylstad on Bishops - priests from Vietnam frequently visit the U.S. to solicit cash donations

[hai lua]

San Jose, September 10th, 2007
The Holy William S. Skylstad
Most Reverend Bishop President
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)
Spokane Catholic Diocese, Washington
Cc: USCCB’s Cardinals, Archbishops and Bishops

Re: Bishops - priests from Vietnam frequently visit the U.S. to
solicit cash donations.

Dear Bishop Skylstad,

After the fall of South Vietnam on April 30th, 1975, we, the
Vietnamese Catholics have been admitted to resettle in the United
States of America. We have been helped by American People to resettle
quickly and have made significant contributions to American society as
other immigrants and refugees who had come to the U.S. earlier. We
have been grateful to American government and People. Also, we have
been cared and religiously nourished by American Catholic Church.
Therefore, today, among the Shepherds we have one Bishop (Mai Thanh
Luong), hundreds of priests and thousands of male and female Church
seminarian students. We profoundly appreciate Jesus Christ, our Lord,
and also American Catholic Church.

Even though having been forced to leave our Motherland and Vietnam
Catholic Church we always have thought of and prayed for our native
Church and deeply reflected ourselves on painful situations in which
our native Church has to suffer severely under the Communist regime.
Therefore, when the Vietnam authority has started its "new, open-door
policy" and established trade relations with the US, we have rushed
cash and gifts to our Motherland to help our relatives and Vietnam
Catholic Church in Vietnam.

When Vietnamese Bishops and priests were allowed to visit other
countries in the free world, especially the US, we happily welcomed
them and made big cash donations so they could use it to complete
their Church’s projects and help other Catholic fellows in Vietnam.
However, our initial goodwill has created much more complicated
situations with more disadvantages than advantages. Since then,
Vietnamese Cardinals, Bishops, priests and church seminarian students
have frequently traveled to the US and other free countries under
their "formal missions" such as "Church missions serving overseas
Vietnamese". In reality, they have mainly focused on soliciting cash
donations. In fact, we, the Vietnamese Catholics, in the US have been
already cared religiously by American Catholic Church equally to other
Catholic immigrants. Native Vietnam Catholic Church in Vietnam has no
more obligations to render any services or assistance to us,
religiously or spiritually.

Vietnamese Cardinals, Bishops, priests and church students have spent
several months to visit the U.S. Some have stayed here for half a year
or longer, just for visiting. Each visiting Church official is able to
raise hundreds of thousands dollars. Some collect million dollars
because they travel across 50 states and many other countries with
their made-up requests that they build and/ or rebuild churches and
other institutions such as institutions for retired priests,
orphanages, educational or cultural funds, etc. Our cash assistance
that had been originally aimed to meet our native Church’s critical
demands has created damaging complications to the Church in Vietnam
and also has corrupted Church officials:

- The rich-anddpoor gaps between "traveling priests" to "solicit cash
contributions" and "no traveling priests" without cash are becoming
increasingly wider. It creates unbridgeable barriers between priests
and divides parishioners. Some parishioners admire and respect rich
priests; others look down on poor priests. Sometimes, easy cash
distracts priests from Church duties. They use such "free and easy
cash" to finance their own selfish interests or worse than that they
have been seduced to materialistic enjoyment and eventually deviate
from their required priesthood duties.

- Going abroad to solicit cash contributions are considered very
"important", therefore, some priests are willing to accept the
communist authorities’ conditions or compromise with the government to
obtain exit visas. Traveling abroad is not citizen’s right but is a
privilege that can be negotiated with the government. For example: (1)
priests’ cash collections must be shared in percentage with
authorities each time priests are allowed to travel abroad, (2)
priests are required to keep their mouths shut, not to disclose
horrified corruptions and repression of all types in Vietnam, (3)
priests should issue statements which are mostly favorable to Vietnam
authorities when they meet with Vietnamese Catholics or non-Catholics
in other countries. One specific Bishop, Joseph Hoang Van Tiem, had
accepted our cash donations but showed disrespect to our traditional
heritage flag of yellow background with three horizontal stripes, our
spiritual symbol of free Vietnamese. It has resulted in serious
conflicts between local Vietnamese American Catholics. These conflicts
became lawsuits in courts. Other Bishop, Joseph Nguyen Chi Linh,
visited Orange County and San Jose in California. While on pulpit
preaching parishioners he maliciously labeled our military chaplains
as sinful priests and losers. These formerly military chaplains used
to be jailed in "re-education camps" for many years after Saigon fell
under the Communists. Therefore, Mass attendants protested him. Many
Bishops and priests have spread untruthfully political propaganda such
as they very much enjoy freedom including religious freedom in Vietnam
under the Communist regime. Therefore, many Catholics and
non-Catholics had been badly insulted and they have boycotted them
fiercely.

- On August 19, 07 at Seafood World restaurant in Westminster,
California in a dinner of over 500 guests to solicit cash
contributions for Bishop Chau Ngoc Tri from diocese of Da Nang in
Vietnam, a 77-year-old Catholic male guest representing 150
churchgoers from Arizona, was invited to the stage to offer some
thoughts. He briefly asked Bishop Chau Ngoc Tri: "Dear Bishop, is
there religious freedom in Vietnam now?" The old man was immediately
apprehended by the Bishop’s body guards who angrily took away the old
man’s microphone and physically forced him out off the restaurant, to
the parking lot in the witnessing of Bishop Mai Thanh Luong, a dozen
of other priests including Rev. Mai Khai Hoan, Director of Vietnam
Catholic Center in diocese of Orange without anybody’s intervention.
The old man who had paid for his admission and dinner was not allowed
finishing his meal or saying a single word. This shameful incident has
sparked up anger and complaints all over the world for the act of
"Smothering freedom of expression" on the U.S. territory, a land of
freedom and opportunities. It is exactly identical to the police act
of smothering Rev. Thaddeus Nguyen Van Ly’s freedom of speech in a
hasty and dirty "Kangaroo trial" which lasted only a few hours on
March 30, 07 ending with a brutal sentence of 8 years in jail and 5
years of home confinement to Father Ly, a tireless activist for
Religious Freedom and Human Rights in Vietnam for over 32 years.

- VietCatholicNews under Priest John Tran Cong Nghi’s ownership with
NO officially legal approval of the Vietnamese Conference of Catholic
Bishops, for years has been a notorious website that has been posted
news pieces, commentary and articles that has gravely jeopardized the
non-violent struggle of inland and overseas Vietnamese for Democracy,
Religious Freedom and Human Rights in Vietnam. It also has created
deep division between Church’s officials, parishioners and
non-Catholics. The net result is Vietnamese Catholics in the U.S. have
been degraded and disrespected by other Americans. In many instances,
our yearly April 30th commemoration, our national memorial event, has
been selected to organize "Raising Fund Dinners" for Bishops and
priests. These events have been interpreted as "Feasts Celebrating
Communist Victory" to compliment and support the Communist Party of
Vietnam (CPV).

- American Bishops have forbidden cash collections inside the
churches. Many Vietnamese priests serving in dioceses on the US soil
who work as illegitimate and unofficial liaisons between Vietnam and
the U.S. Church have bent the rules by authorizing cash collections
just outside the church buildings.
There have been awful incidents of Bishops and priests who wore
vestments standing in front of the churches’ main entrances to
"solicit" parishioners for cash donations immediately after Masses. It
has created distasteful images that resemble with "luxury beggars" and
has poked thorny pains in out hearts and generated disrespect among
non-Catholics towards our Church and Church leaders.

In addition, many state-controlled Church officials have been granted
exit visas easily while other non state-controlled Church officials
have been strictly prohibited to travel outside Vietnam. These
discriminatory treatments have created injustice, negative impacts and
deep divisions between different Churches and also inside our Catholic
Church itself.

Dear Bishop Skylstad,

We are now enjoyably exercising our rights and responsibilities to
American Catholic Church equally to other immigrants. We feel
responsible to make significant contributions to American Catholic
Church. However, we cannot forget and ignore our native Vietnam
Catholic Church, which has been physically and mentally suffered every
minute in Vietnam. In order to resolve this situation, we sincerely
suggest to the United Stated Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), a
workable solution as follows that should be suitable to us, to Vietnam
Catholic Church and also to American Catholic Church:

- Designate 1 or 2 specific days every year to help Vietnam Catholic
Church in Vietnam. During those 2 days anybody who wishes to help is
welcomed to make contributions. Other than that, NO Vietnamese Bishop/
priests on the US soil are authorized to permit Vietnamese visiting
Bishops/ priests standing in front of churches’ main entrances to
"BEG" parishioners for cash donations. These collections eventually
are required to send to the USCCB and the USCCB will turn around
sending them to the Vietnam Conference of Catholic Bishops to
distribute it fairly to all parishes, especially to poor parishes or
use this fund for educational or social assistance, etc. in Vietnam.

- Advise Vietnamese Bishop/ priests NOT to abuse their authority to
offer assistance to visiting priests from Vietnam by hosting and/ or
organizing "Raising Fund Feasts" for them. There have been more than
enough protests, assaults and lawsuits pertaining to cash
solicitations on churches’ premises.
We humbly and earnestly pray our Lord, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit
and Saint Mary always be with you, our respected Bishop President and
all members of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Respectfully yours,

Priests:

1. The Rev. Peter Phan Van Loi, Diocese of Bac Ninh, Vietnam
(currently under home confinement)
2. The Rev. Peter Nguyen Huu Giai, Archdiocese of Hue, Vietnam
3. The Rev. Stephen Chan Tin, Redemptorist Pastoral Center, Saigon ,
Vietnam
4. The Rev. John Baptist Dinh Xuan Minh, Germany
5. The Rev. Nguyen Thanh, Diocese of Da Nang, Vietnam
6. The Rev. Dinh Xuan Long, North Carolina, USA
7. The Rev. Andrew Nguyen Huu Le, Diocese of Auckland, New Zealand

Parishioners - Lay Catholics

1. Michael Le Van An, Author, Journalist, Activist for Religious
Freedom and Human Rights in Vietnam, 303 Checkers Dr. # 202, San Jose,
CA 95133. Email address: kiem...@sbcglobal.net, Diocese of San Jose,
California.
2. Vincent Viet Si, Activist for Religious Freedom and Human Rights in
Vietnam, Diocese of Oakland, California
3. Anne Nguyen Thanh Ha, Activist for Religious Freedom and Human
Rights in Vietnam, Archdiocese of Sydney, Australia
4. Dominic Hoang Van Tho, Activist for Religious Freedom and Human
Rights in Vietnam, Diocese of Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia
5. Kieu Thanh Hoang, Activist for Religious Freedom and Human Rights
in Vietnam, same diocese as above
6. Kevin Thien Anh Hoang, same diocese as above
7. Daniel Nam Hoang, same diocese as above
8. Simon Nguyen An Quy, Author, Activist for Religious Freedom and
Human Rights in Vietnam, Archdiocese of Seattle, Seattle, Washington
State, USA
9. Lawrence Dang Dinh Hien, President of Vietnamese Catholic
Conscience, Activist for Religious Freedom and Human Rights in
Vietnam, Diocese of San Jose, San Jose, USA
10. Michael Le van Y, Vietnamese Catholic Conscience, Activist for
Religious Freedom and Human Rights in Vietnam, Diocese of San Jose,
San Jose, USA
11. Mary Nguyen Thi Quang Binh, Vietnamese Catholic Conscience,
Activist for Religious Freedom and Human Rights in Vietnam, Diocese of
San Jose, San Jose, USA
12. Peter Nguyen Que, Vietnamese Catholic Conscience, Activist for
Religious Freedom and Human Rights in Vietnam, Diocese of San Jose,
San Jose, USA
13. Alex Huynh Viet Dieu, Vietnamese Catholic Conscience, Author,
Activist for Religious Freedom and Human Rights in Vietnam, Diocese of
San Jose, San Jose, USA
14. Paul Nguyen Long, Vietnamese Catholic Conscience, Author, Activist
for Religious Freedom and Human Rights in Vietnam, Diocese of San
Jose, San Jose, USA
15. Anne Cao Thi Vinh, Vietnamese Catholic Conscience, Diocese of San
Jose San Jose, USA
16. Joseph Pham Hinh, Vietnamese Catholic Conscience, Diocese of San
Jose, San Jose, USA
17. Peter Nguyen Chinh, Journalist, Vietnamese Catholic Conscience,
Vietnamese Catholic Conscience, Diocese of San Jose, San Jose, USA
18. Sebastian Vu Linh Huy, M.D., Archdiocese of Boston, Boston,
Massachusetts, USA
19. Joseph Nguyen Van Thong, Archdiocese of Boston, Boston,
Massachusetts, USA
20. Tran Phong Vu, Author, Journalist, Diocese of Orange, Westminster,
USA
21. Tran Van Cao, M.D., Diocese of Orange, Westminster, USA
22. Dominic Ha Tien Nhat, Author, Diocese of San Jose, San Jose, USA
23-Thomaso Tran Viet Yen, Activist for Religious Freedom and Human
Rights in Vietnam Diocese of San Jose, San Jose, USA
24. Professor Dr. Lawrence Nguyen Hoc Tap, Author, Activist for
Religious Freedom and Human Rights in Vietnam, Italy
25. Nguyen Xuan Tung, Author, Activist for Religious Freedom and Human
Rights in Vietnam, Diocese of Orange, Westminster , USA
26. Professor Dr. John Nguyen Phuc Lien, Author, Activist for
Religious Freedom and Human Rights in Vietnam, Diocese of Geneva,
Geneva, Switzerland
27. John Nguyen Huu Can, Archdiocese of Seattle, Seattle, Washington
State, USA
28. Francis Xavier Nguyen Tien Canh, M.D., Author, Activist for
Religious Freedom and Human Rights in Vietnam, Florida, USA
29. Joseph Dinh Kim Tan, Activist for Religious Freedom and Human
Rights in Vietnam, Diocese of MUŽSTER, Germany
30. Mac Giao, Author, Journalist, Author, Activist for Religious
Freedom and Human Rights in Vietnam, St Vincent Liem Parish, Calgary,
Canada.
31. Joseph Nguyen An Quoc, Activist for Religious Freedom and Human
Rights in Vietnam, Diocese of San Jose, San Jose, California, USA
32. Paul Cao Huu Thien, Archdiocese of Seattle, Tacoma, Washington
State, USA
33. Magdalene Vo Thi Mai, same archdiocese as above.
34. James Cao Huu Tho, same archdiocese.
35. Joseph Cao Huu Thuy, same archdiocese.
36. Mary Le Thanh Thuy, same archdiocese.
37. Theresa Cao Vu Thuy Trang, same archdiocese.
38. Catherine Cao Vu Ly Tao, same archdiocese.
39. Lucia Cao Vu Thuy Tie^n, same archdiocese.
40. Joseph Vo Thanh Vinh, same archdiocese.
41. Anthony Tran Huu Tuan Anh, same archdiocese.
42. Bui Hoang Thu, same archdiocese.
43. Augustine Doan Van Tuan, Diocese of San Bernadino, Riverside,
California, USA
44. Peter Duong Van Hoang, Archdiocese of Las Vegas, Las Vegas,
Nevada, USA
45. Lucia Dang Thi Lien, Archdiocese of Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada,
USA
46. Toa Do, Activist for Religious Freedom and Human Rights in
Vietnam,Westminster, CA , USA
47. John Baptist Vuong Ky-Son, Writer, Journalist, Radio Director,
Magazine Publisher/Editor, Author, Activist for Religious Freedom and
Human Rights in Vietnam, Archdiocese of New Orleans, Louisiana
48. Mary Doan Thi Huong, Archdiocese of Saigon, Saigon, Vietnam
49. Augustine Doan Van Thuc, Archdiocese of Saigon, Saigon, Vietnam
50. Mary Doan Thi Nga, Archdiocese of Saigon, Saigon, Vietnam
51. Dr. Long Kim Pham, PE, Nuclear Engineer, Diocese of Orange,
California
52. Matthew Tran, Author, Activist for Religious Freedom and Human
Rights in Vietnam, Publisher of "Vietnam Homebound Newsletters Network
// HNN", TX, USA
53. Catarina Tran Nam Binh, Activist for Religious Freedom and Human
Rights in Vietnam, Diocese of San Jose, CA
54. Paul Ly Thanh Truc, Goettingen, Germany.

[hoch...@gmail.com]

God condemns all of you.

Cannot believe that it can turn out this ugly.

If you don't want to give, don't give. Nobody forces you agaisnt your
wills. This is not VN.

You are not SOG. You are SOB.