Vietnam: Bad News for Christians

But these timely gestures do not prevent the government from exerting excessive control over Catholic life: the admission of seminarians for their training—which can only be done every two years; priestly ordinations, which cannot be done without the approval of the authorities; the admission of nuns; control of pilgrimages, to name only the most visible examples.

This is why dozens of seminarians, having completed their training, are awaiting the government’s green light to be ordained, or why many nuns are “clandestine,” neither wearing the habit nor being able to make a religious profession.

A New President and Leader of the Communist Party

The previous President, Vo Van Thuong, was considered rather “moderate,” but he resigned in March 2024. He was replaced by To Lam, who was also appointed General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), and who has become the most important figure in the country.

The website Radio France Internationale (RFI) explains that To Lam has “shaped his meteoric rise into the ranks of the state police, through suppression denounced by human rights defenders.” The choice of the former Minister of Public Security “did not surprise specialists.”

Indeed, “under the guise of the fighting against corruption, To Lam had been maneuvering for years to push his rivals out of the race” for power. And affirmed that he “mobilized the all-powerful means of public order in what represented the most important purge in the history of independent Vietnam, targeting two presidents, ministers, and economic leaders,” among others.

The article continues: “order and maintaining order are at the heart of the political project of To Lam, who governs in the footsteps of one of his predecessors, Nguyen Phu Trong, even if his route differs from that of his elder, a conservative ideologue allied with Beijing.”

It should be noted that Vietnam is led by a collective called the “four pillars”: the General Secretary of the Party, the President, the Prime Minister, and the Chairman of the National Assembly. The General Secretary is considered to have the most powerful role. To Lam now occupies all four positions...

As InfoCatólica reports, “International Christian Concern has expressed deep concern [...] The organization fears that under his direction, Christians, particularly those from ethnic minorities, will face heightened religious repression.” This concern is not unfounded.

With this new strongman, there is little chance to see improvements in the freedom of the Church in Vietnam. It is more likely that its action will even be restricted, so significant is To Lam’s obsession with control in everything he has accomplished so far. Time will tell.