A Catholic diocese in Vietnam has suspended an elderly priest after he joined a banned group of exorcists, disobeying his bishop.
Da Lat Diocese annou-nced on Dec. 6 that 72-year-old Father Dominic Nguyen Chu Truyen had been sus-pended from administering sacraments and pastoral care. The diocese’s vicar general, Father John Bosco Hoang Van Chinh, announced the suspension of Father Truyen, who claims to be an exorcist.
Father Turyen lived in a house owned by Teresa Nguyen Thi Thuong, who leads a group of exorcists based in Bao Loc parish in Lam Dong province.
Thuong and her group members regularly perform exorcism inside the house, attracting several people. The diocese banned Catholics from attending such practice, in June after some priests and nuns also attended the rituals.
The vicar general said Father Truyen sent two letters in October to Bishop Dominic Nguyen Van Manh and the diocesan advisory board stating that he “has to absolutely obey the will of God” even if it means disobeying the bishop.
Father Truyen, a former pastor of Thanh Mau parish, said that Thuong received “a mandate from God for him.”
He claimed that he could “put hands on patients and heal them and perform an exorcism without seeking the bishop’s permission.”
The priest said he considers this service as “a special grace from God, more than his priesthood.”