Great news. The Vietnamese church and its suffering under persecution is often overlooked.
Thanks, John Kerry.
I travel to Vietnam regularly for business - mainly the South. Have visited some churches and convents. I know the Church has difficulty opening more schools or orphanages, and there are always disputes over land and building. But in terms of worship, if there is persecution, it seems not to matter to the people there.
I find Catholic Churches all over the towns and cities of the South. Churches seem to be open all hours, and even late in the evening, you will see all the lights on, people on the grounds chatting, kids playing, etc... They seem to be real community centers and are busy all times. On Sundays, masses are over-flowing. I visited one Church on a Sunday which probably seated 500 cheek-by-jowel, and it still had another 500+ out on the patio (its tropical, so often doors are very large and walls are open). It was quite a sight, compared to the staid, sparse Church attendance I often see here in the USA.