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Vietnam's Catholic Church Wants Property Returned

By Howard Friedman

An AP report today says that the Catholic Church in Vietnam is pressuring the government to return to it the old Vatican embassy in Hanoi that was taken by the government in 1960. This is one of many church properties that were taken over by the government after 1954. Church leaders and their parishioners have been gathering in front of the former embassy, now used as a youth sports center, for prayer vigils to draw attention to their claim. Government officials say a priest voluntarily turned the embassy property over to the government in 1960. Observers say the Church's public challenge shows that relations between the government and the Church have improved dramatically. Five years ago such demonstrators would have been arrested.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on January 23, 2008 (boomark / email).