Three Catholic priests are candidates for election to the Vietnamese national assembly, the “highest organ of state power” under the nation’s constitution.

The candidacy of the three priests has prompted criticism among Vietnamese Catholics and has stirredup debate on the application of ecclesial disciplines in Vietnam, VietCatholic reports.

Father Tran Manh Cuong and Father Le Ngoc Hoan, of the dioceses of Ban Me Thout and Bui Chu, respectively, are already members of the current 12th national assembly. They are running now for their membership renewal in the 13th assembly, which will be elected on May 22.

A third priest, Father Phan Khac Tu of the Saigon archdiocese, is running for the first time, and his candidacy has drawn more public attention.

Father Tu’s election campaign has highlighted his involvement in the Vietnam War, even claiming that he built a small secret factory to produce hand-held bombs that could be used against American soldiers.

In an interview with Vietnam Net, a state-run media outlet, Father Tu voiced his pride in running such a factory inside a church in central Saigon as neither the South government nor the CIA could have suspected this.

Father Chan Tin, a Redemptorist in Saigon, demanded an immediate withdrawn from the election of the three priests to “save the face of the Church”. “Does the Church in Vietnam have its own Canon Law or special exemptions?” he asks. “If not, then no priests can participate in such an organ of power.”

SOURCE

Catholic priests to run for Vietnam’s Parliament (VietCatholic)

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