A priest who has been continually attacked in the press and hunted by gangs acting on behalf of police has been summoned by police. Church leaders fear the move may cause more tension.

On Monday Aug. 10, police raided the house of a parishioner of Tam Toa who was supposed to know his parish priest’s whereabouts. He was forced to send in person to Fr. Peter Le Thanh Hong - his parish priest – a police summoning order. Police threatened him with heavy consequences should he fail to send the order or Fr. Peter Le would not show up before the deadline ended on Tuesday evening.

Police have charged Fr. Peter Le of “trampling on the laws of the country” and “inciting the faithful into the illegal constructing a house” on a historic site. The diocese of Vinh has greatly concerned for his safety because thugs have been roaming the streets calling for his death. But he is nowhere to be found.

State own media have repeatedly made false accusations against Fr Le. “For years, Le Thanh Hong (the parish priest) has trampled on the laws of the country by celebrating Mass exceeding his quota. He has lured hundreds of people from other places into the area to attend his Sunday Mass,” the Saigon Liberated said on July, 31.

“Apart from saying Mass illegally, and violating the laws blatantly, he has also distorted the truth and put on the Internet distorted statements,” Saigon Liberated added. For this reason the paper wants the authorities to arrest him and hand him a lengthy sentence.

According to information obtained by VietCatholic News, Fr Le Thanh Hong does not know how to use a computer or the internet.