JESUITS BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE IN HCMC

UNCLAS HO CHI MINH CITY 001085 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM SOCI PGOV VM SUBJECT: JESUITS BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE IN HCMC ¶1. (U) SUMMARY. Just three years after the passage of Vietnam's law on religious freedom, Ho Chi Minh City's vibrant and growing Jesuit community are operating a newly-built training facility where 37 future priests and monks are currently studying with the GVN's full permission -- and with no interference. Comparing the situation today to that of just five years ago, the predominantly U.S.-trained hierarchy of the Jesuit order describe a "night and day" difference in the level of religious freedom they enjoy. Thanks to the number of young new Jesuits, the order is growing and already looking toward sending its priests and brothers to help in other Asian countries where there is a shortage of Jesuit religious figures. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) In August of 2007, the Jesuit Province of Ho Chi Minh City opened its new training facility; today, 37 Jesuits currently live in the modern "scholastic cells" and study the Jesuits' standard curriculum. (Note: The full Jesuit training program for brothers and priests consists lasts seven years: three years of training in secular philosophy followed by four years of theological training.) The students, who come from all over Vietnam (although the majority are from the south),all took their religious vows before entry. ¶3. (U) Because the facility focuses only on the first three years of Jesuit priest's training, all of the young Jesuits currently in training took their vows and began their training after the passage of Vietnam's 2004 law on religious freedom. In the students' own words, they are "completely free" in their studies, prayers and faith. Their instructors, the vast majority of whom were trained in the United States, describe a "night and day" change in conditions over the past few years. In the past, most of the Jesuit priests in Vietnam were not officially recognized as priests by the government and had to conceal their religious activities. Officially, they had simply completed "college" rather than seminary abroad. Today, all of the permanent faculty are recognized priests who practice openly. ¶4. (SBU) Unlike some theological training facilities belonging to other denominations, all courses at the Jesuit facility are taught by religious instructors; there are no state-taught or state-mandated classes. Leaders of the facility are hesitant to speak about POLITICAL topics (and would not want to be quoted to the GVN),but report that they have good working RELATIONS with local authorities. Some problems do occur occasionally, particularly when they try to construct new buildings -- a tough job for anyone in HCMC. Despite these problems, the Jesuits are marching forward. Having finished classroom, dining and living spaces, the Jesuits are now building an impressive new chapel. Like other religious groups in HCMC, the Jesuits report that the overall number of troublesome issues they face with authorities at all levels is decreasing with time. ¶5. (U) During an October 18 visit to the Jesuits' new facility followed by dinner with the Provincial, Rector and other senior Jesuit leaders, CG learned that the primary medium of instruction is English. Indeed, the vast majority of the books in the school's library are in English and the library also includes a language laboratory. According to the school's Rector, the Ho Chi Minh facility combines teaching of the standard Jesuit curriculum with teaching of English so that graduates are prepared to continue their studies and/or religious lives abroad upon graduation. Given the number of Jesuits currently in training in Vietnam, the order is already moving from a reliance on foreign-trained Jesuits to meet local needs to becoming a net exporter of trained religious workers. The Provincial is already in discussions with counterparts in Malaysia, Indonesia and Japan, all of whom need more Jesuit priests than their nations produce. Thanks both to the high percentage of Jesuits in Vietnam who completed their training in the U.S. and to the large number of American Jesuit priests of Vietnamese descent, RELATIONS between the Jesuits in the U.S. and Vietnam will certainly remain very close for years to come. FAIRFAX