HANOI (UCAN): The Diocese of Bui Chu the oldest in northern Vietnam, started demolition of its 19th century cathedral, which is in ramshackle condition, despite public calls to conserve the iconic building.
A priest from Bu Chu said on July 17 that workers started to remove the floor and roof tiles from the 135-year-old Bui Chu Cathedral, one of Vietnam’s oldest churches.
The site in the Xuan Truong district of Nam Dinh province is surrounded by a sheet metal fence so few people can approach it. The demolition is expected to be completed in August.
The priest, who wished to remain anonymous, said the diocese made no public announcement of the cathedral’s demolition for fear that negative responses would prevent the old church from being pulled down and the construction of a new one.
In May 2019, 25 architects petitioned Vietnam’s prime minister, Nguyen Xuan Phuc; Culture, Sports and Tourism minister, Nguyen Ngoc Thien; and local authorities to conserve the Baroque-style church after Bishop Thomas Aquinas Vu Dinh Hieu of Bui Chu announced a plan to knock it down. After that, vicar general, Father Joseph Nguyen Duc Giang, head of the diocese’s construction board, had to suspend the demolition plan.
However, Church leaders and architects could not reach an agreement on how to save the old church, which was built in 1885 by Spanish Bishop Wenceslao Onate.
In February, the diocese resumed demolishing the building and began removing furnishings but the undertaking was interrupted by the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak.
While waiting for the new church to be constructed, local Catholics are attending daily services at a nearby house.
Sister Theophane Doan Thi Chuyen of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Rosary explaind that the 1,088-square-metre cathedral, which was restored in 1974 and 2000, was in a dilapidated condition and flooded in the rainy season, posing a danger to Massgoers.
“It is right to build a new cathedral to replace the old one to ensure the safety of the crowds of people who attend services,” she said.
The new cathedral will be built on the same foundation as the old but cover a larger area. The ceiling will be made of wood and in the same style as traditional houses.
