Illegal construction in Cua Lo: Just after inaugurating the church, a chapel was arbitrarily built.

(Baonghean)- The location of Duc Xuan parish (Block 8, Nghi Tan Ward, Cua Lo Town) illegally built a chapel only 500-600 meters from the church, the number of parishioners is only 32 households, not enough conditions to separate and establish a parish.

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Not qualified to separate parishes

Inquiring, it is known that Duc Xuan parish (Tan Loc parish) was formed by the merger of Duc Vong and Xuan Mai parishes. The entire parish currently has 274 households, 1,535 people, the parish church located in block 7, Nghi Tan ward has just been rebuilt spaciously (45m long, 16m wide, twin towers 33m high), inaugurated and put into use on June 22, 2016, creating more convenience for parishioners in liturgical activities.

Prayer session at Duc Xuan parish church.

However, only 3 months after the inauguration of the new church, on September 3, 2016, Duc Xuan parish, Tan Loc parish submitted a petition to the Provincial People's Committee and local authorities regarding the reconstruction of Xuan Mai parish (located in Nghi Tan ward, Cua Lo town) with the reason: "Currently, some of our brothers and sisters (about 32 households, 135 people - PV) are living in an isolated area in the area called Ruong hamlet, Nghi Tan ward. The common social activities of the parishioners of Xuan Mai parish are temporarily stable, but religious activities face many difficulties and disadvantages, especially for the elderly and children".

After receiving the petition, the People's Committee of Nghe An province directed the establishment of an interdisciplinary team to coordinate with the local authorities to conduct a field inspection and respond with Document No. 8097/UBND-NC dated October 25, 2016, which affirmed: "In 1967, the Xuan Mai and Duc Vong parish churches in Nghi Quang commune (Nghi Loc) were almost completely destroyed by American bombs, leaving only a part of the bell tower of Duc Vong church. Realizing that the remaining bell tower could collapse and endanger people, in 1979, the People's Committee of Nghi Quang commune mobilized and parishioners agreed to voluntarily dismantle the remaining bell tower of Duc Vong church. After that, in order to meet the religious needs of the people, authorities at all levels paid attention to resolving the petition of Xuan Mai parish, agreeing to allocate land for this parish to build a chapel in Tan Quang hamlet, Nghi Quang commune (Nghi Loc), now block 7, Nghi Tan ward, Cua Lo town.

At that time, due to the wishes of the parishioners of Duc Vong and Xuan Mai parishes who wanted to practice together at Xuan Mai church, they agreed to change the name of Xuan Mai parish to Duc Xuan parish. Since 1994, after the establishment of Cua Lo town, when 3 hamlets (Tan Quang, Quang Thuong, Quang Lien) of Nghi Quang commune merged into Nghi Tan ward, Cua Lo town (now blocks 7, 8, 9), the number of parishioners of the old Duc Vong parish living in Trung Tien hamlet, Nghi Quang commune asked to move to practice at Loc My parish church. By 1995, the parishioners requested and were given land by the government to build a chapel and establish Duc Vong parish in Trung Tien hamlet, Nghi Quang commune (Nghi Loc). Thus, in reality, the authorities at all levels have resolved the matter of re-establishing and rebuilding Xuan Mai and Duc Vong parishes, and allocated land for the two parishes to build churches and practice their religion stably.

Official dispatch No. 8097/UBND-NC dated October 25, 2016 of the Provincial People's Committee also affirmed: "There are not enough conditions to approve the proposal to establish Xuan Mai parish, Nghi Tan ward, Cua Lo town". This is consistent with reality because: Firstly, the number of parishioners expected to establish Xuan Mai parish is not large (only 32 households, 135 people).

Duc Xuan parish church was inaugurated in June 2016.

Second, the distance for parishioners from block 8, Nghi Tan ward to Duc Xuan parish church (newly built in June 2016) is only about 500 - 600m. On the other hand, the current planning and land fund of the locality do not have the conditions to assign the parish to build a worship facility if the parish is established.

Challenging the government

However, on November 6, 2016, Tan Loc parish responded to Official Dispatch No. 8097 of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee stating: "Since the churches of Duc Vong and Xuan Mai parishes were destroyed by bombs (in 1967), these parishes have not been granted any land, only land use rights certificates; because they had no place of worship of their own, the two parishes were forced to live together but never expressed any desire to live together; a distance of 500 - 600m is not a problem for young people and areas with convenient traffic, but for the elderly, children and areas with inconvenient traffic, it is not simple".

Regarding the land issue, the Tan Loc parish's document expressed a challenge: "If the government no longer has land to grant for the reconstruction of Xuan Mai parish church, we will take care of it ourselves."

On January 24, 2017, the People's Committee of Nghe An province continued to issue Document No. 518 in response to Document dated November 6, 2017 of Tan Loc parish, stating: "In 1990, at the request of Xuan Mai parish, the Provincial People's Committee resolved to give the parish 1,053.3 square meters of land, of which 841 square meters were allocated by the State, the remaining amount was transferred by the parish".

In the record of the inspection of the current land use status at the Duc Xuan religious facility, established on February 11, 2006, with the participation of priest Nguyen Van Khang - Parish Priest of Tan Loc, signed and stamped by the Tan Loc parish, it clearly stated: "The land use source was assigned by the Provincial People's Committee 841m2 ​​of land in 1990". Thus, the land area of ​​Duc Xuan parish currently using was assigned by the People's Committee of Nghe An province to use for building a stable religious facility up to now. And in fact, the parishioners of Xuan Mai parish were previously allowed by the government to establish a parish for activities, the merger into Duc Vong parish and the renaming to Duc Xuan parish was decided by the parishioners and the church themselves, not "unwillingly forced to operate together" as the document of Tan Loc parish mentioned.

Illegally built chapel in block 8, Nghi Tan ward (Cua Lo town).

Regarding the road from block 8, Nghi Tan ward to Duc Xuan church, in 2013, Cua Lo town People's Committee supported upgrading about 300/500m. For the remaining 200m to Ruong hamlet, Cua Lo town People's Committee assigned Nghi Tan ward People's Committee to set up a project to renovate and upgrade to serve the travel needs of the people.

The fact that Tan Loc parish claimed that "if the government no longer has land to grant for the reconstruction of Xuan Mai parish church, we will take care of it ourselves", in fact they "took care of it" themselves by intentionally building a chapel on plot 54, map 02 of Mr. Tran Van Son and Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong (illegally transferred to Mr. Tran Van Cay) has no legal basis and violates the law.

Therefore, the reason that Duc Xuan parish uses "32 households are in need of a place to pray" to build a chapel in block 8, Nghi Tan ward is not suitable for reality because for a long time, these 32 households have been practicing their religion normally at Duc Xuan parish church which was just rebuilt in June 2016 (only 500 - 600m from their residence)...

Nghe An Newspaper will continue to inform about this incident.

PV Group