HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam (UCAN) -- A 26-member Vietnamese delegation left for the 17th World Youth Day (WYD) events in Canada amid complaints that the embassy of the host country had unjustly denied visas to many applicants.

The delegation to the July 22-28 celebration comprises two bishops, eight priests and 16 Catholic youths. It is led by Bishop Francois Xavier Nguyen Van Sang of Thai Binh, chairman of the episcopal Commission for Laity.

A Church source told UCA News that before the delegates left Vietnam July 18 for Toronto, Canada, they took part in a gathering of about 2,000 Catholic youths in the northern diocese of Thai Binh.

The source added that many more youths from Ho Chi Minh archdiocese wanted to be among the WYD delegation but were refused entry visas to Canada. Pope John Paul II is scheduled to attend the Toronto WYD celebration.

Father Pierre Nguyen Van Hien, head of the Ho Chi Minh City archdiocesan Youth Ministry Committee, told UCA News July 16 that he and a representative of the Catholic youth had sent a protest letter to the Canadian Embassy.

He said that in the letter he voiced his complaint against the Canadian government's "discriminatory" immigration policy.

The priest also said he sent a copy of the protest letter to WYD organizers and Father Tran Tap, who is based in Toronto and is responsible for the Vietnam delegation there.

Father Hien told UCA News that though he was granted a visa, he decided not go to Canada to show his solidarity with the youths who were refused entry.

Teresa Huynh Phuong Dung, who heads the Ho Chi Minh City youth delegation, told UCA News July 17 that the refusal left many Catholic youths who were very enthusiastic about attending the event unable to go.

The youth leader said the Youth Ministry Committee had made great efforts to provide youth substantial information about the Toronto event.

She added that this is the first time the archdiocese mobilized Catholic youth to respond to an international World Youth Day celebration.

Dung expressed hope that in the future the Church would contact concerned embassies well in advance so that more visas could be granted and youth delegates from poorer countries would not be discriminated against.

She noted that this is the second time Catholic youth from Vietnam are able to attend a worldwide WYD gathering to show their communion with the pope and to meet and journey with youth from other countries in a common pilgrimage of faith in Christ.

According to local Catholic media, the government's Bureau for Religious Affairs agreed that the Church could send a delegation to Toronto during a June meeting with the Standing Committee of the Vietnam Bishops' Conference.

Meanwhile, Father Hien said, preparations to celebrate the World Youth Day locally have been carefully prepared over the last few months.

Youth committees of each deanery have planned activities that will involve parish youth in prayer and sharing sessions, discussions and cultural performances on the WYD theme "You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world."

Joseph Pham Huy Hoang of Tan Phu Hoa parish told UCA News that in the last three months there were meetings every week. "We met to discuss concrete plans for Catholic youth in our deanery to have an opportunity to be in communion with the youth representatives the world over," he said.

Teresa Luong Thi Trang Dai of Tan Thanh parish told UCA News that although she could not join the youth delegation to Toronto due to cost constraints and complicated visa procedures, she will do her best to contribute to the success of the WYD celebration in her locality.

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