admin
18-05-2006, 08:59 PM
June 3
Saint Paul ĐỔNG
Farmer
(1802-1862)
* Indomitable and Upright.
One of the five unwelcome directives of King Tự Đức’s edict of persecution issued on 8/5/1861 was that Christians would be tattooed on one cheek the words “TẢ ĐẠO” or “perverse religion”, and on the other cheek his birthplace. Tattooing by a red hot iron on the cheeks in order to leave the long-termed scars, when dried, which could be used later to distinguish and harass the victims, was an innovation of if not King Tự Đức then of some high-ranking courtier of the royal court. It was probably a punishment unparallel in the history of the Catholic Church.
However, a 60-year-old man had dared rebel against that cruel rule. Once after he was tattooed with the words “perverse religion,” he erased it. On another occasion, instead of being engraved by soldiers, he secretly had a fellow prisoner tattoo the words” True Religion” which made the authorities furious. That brave old man was Paul Đổng.
* Accepting All Hardship.
Paul Đổng was born in 1802 in Vực Đường, Hưng Yên province (presently Hải Hưng). Paul Đổng was aparishioner of Cao Xá parish, a parish with one of the oldest Christian tradition of the central vicariate of Tokin. He once was the treasurer overseeing the possessions of the parish for 6 years.
During this time, carrying out the edict of persecution, the authorities came to all Catholic villages with the purpose of taking the census, but in actuality to force Christians to obey the king and reject their faith. The authorities placed a cross on the ground and force all to walk over. Those who refused were bound, put in a yoke, and taken to the provincial capital. Paul Đổng was arrested during such an occasion on 11/25/1861 when he valiantly admitted to be a Christian and firmly refused to trample on the cross.
The mandarin had him taken to An Thi district where Paul Đổng was promised money if he rejects his faith, but he steadfastly refused and affirmed his loyalty to Christ. As a result, he was subjected to torments and heavy chains in prison. Thereafter, he was transferred to the provincial capital. At the city gate, he encountered a cross placed on the ground that everyone had to walk over to enter the city; he stopped and refused to step over it. Soldiers scourged him brutally but could not budge the hero of faith. They then put him in a tight cage and carried him over.
For almost a year in jail, Paul Đổng was forced to carry a yoke during the day and shackles at night. No matter how much interrogation and injuries resulted from bloody tortures, he always maintained his faith.
For his refusal to allow soldiers to tattoo the words “perverse religion” on his cheeks, Paul Đổng was denied food for many days. Slowly, he became exhausted. Once a sympathetic guard gave him some rice and water, he gave them to his fellow cellmate. A few days later, unable to bear the hunger, he chewed on his shirt. Too weak to resist, he was tattooed with the words “perverse religion,” but then he bravely scratched them out.
Eight days later, exhausted due to tortures and hunger, Paul Đổng became unconscious. The prison guards struggled to revive him; the mandarin allowed him food and had him tattooed again. Paul Đổng begged the mandarin to permit his fellow cellmate to do the tattoo. But instead of tattooing the words “perverse religion,” he had his cellmate engraving on his cheeks the words “True religion” which enraged the mandarin who then again denied him food for a few days and sentenced him to death.
Before the tribunal investigating the cause for beatification, his niece testified: “Hearing of his imminent beheading, he was very happy, prostrated on the ground to give thanks to God, prayed attentively and said the act of contrition.”
On the way to the execution site, Mr. Paul Đổng prepared for his death and said the prayer entrusting his soul to God. He loudly called the name Jesus three times before the executioner severe his head. The date was 6/3/1862. Among the 19 Catholics beatified by Pope Pius XII on 4/29/1951 at St. Peter Basilica, the biography of Paul Đổng had won admiration from those present for the courage, determination of a Vietnamese, although small and poor, but rich in indomitable spirit.
Hoàng Tôn Thất
Saint Paul ĐỔNG
Farmer
(1802-1862)
* Indomitable and Upright.
One of the five unwelcome directives of King Tự Đức’s edict of persecution issued on 8/5/1861 was that Christians would be tattooed on one cheek the words “TẢ ĐẠO” or “perverse religion”, and on the other cheek his birthplace. Tattooing by a red hot iron on the cheeks in order to leave the long-termed scars, when dried, which could be used later to distinguish and harass the victims, was an innovation of if not King Tự Đức then of some high-ranking courtier of the royal court. It was probably a punishment unparallel in the history of the Catholic Church.
However, a 60-year-old man had dared rebel against that cruel rule. Once after he was tattooed with the words “perverse religion,” he erased it. On another occasion, instead of being engraved by soldiers, he secretly had a fellow prisoner tattoo the words” True Religion” which made the authorities furious. That brave old man was Paul Đổng.
* Accepting All Hardship.
Paul Đổng was born in 1802 in Vực Đường, Hưng Yên province (presently Hải Hưng). Paul Đổng was aparishioner of Cao Xá parish, a parish with one of the oldest Christian tradition of the central vicariate of Tokin. He once was the treasurer overseeing the possessions of the parish for 6 years.
During this time, carrying out the edict of persecution, the authorities came to all Catholic villages with the purpose of taking the census, but in actuality to force Christians to obey the king and reject their faith. The authorities placed a cross on the ground and force all to walk over. Those who refused were bound, put in a yoke, and taken to the provincial capital. Paul Đổng was arrested during such an occasion on 11/25/1861 when he valiantly admitted to be a Christian and firmly refused to trample on the cross.
The mandarin had him taken to An Thi district where Paul Đổng was promised money if he rejects his faith, but he steadfastly refused and affirmed his loyalty to Christ. As a result, he was subjected to torments and heavy chains in prison. Thereafter, he was transferred to the provincial capital. At the city gate, he encountered a cross placed on the ground that everyone had to walk over to enter the city; he stopped and refused to step over it. Soldiers scourged him brutally but could not budge the hero of faith. They then put him in a tight cage and carried him over.
For almost a year in jail, Paul Đổng was forced to carry a yoke during the day and shackles at night. No matter how much interrogation and injuries resulted from bloody tortures, he always maintained his faith.
For his refusal to allow soldiers to tattoo the words “perverse religion” on his cheeks, Paul Đổng was denied food for many days. Slowly, he became exhausted. Once a sympathetic guard gave him some rice and water, he gave them to his fellow cellmate. A few days later, unable to bear the hunger, he chewed on his shirt. Too weak to resist, he was tattooed with the words “perverse religion,” but then he bravely scratched them out.
Eight days later, exhausted due to tortures and hunger, Paul Đổng became unconscious. The prison guards struggled to revive him; the mandarin allowed him food and had him tattooed again. Paul Đổng begged the mandarin to permit his fellow cellmate to do the tattoo. But instead of tattooing the words “perverse religion,” he had his cellmate engraving on his cheeks the words “True religion” which enraged the mandarin who then again denied him food for a few days and sentenced him to death.
Before the tribunal investigating the cause for beatification, his niece testified: “Hearing of his imminent beheading, he was very happy, prostrated on the ground to give thanks to God, prayed attentively and said the act of contrition.”
On the way to the execution site, Mr. Paul Đổng prepared for his death and said the prayer entrusting his soul to God. He loudly called the name Jesus three times before the executioner severe his head. The date was 6/3/1862. Among the 19 Catholics beatified by Pope Pius XII on 4/29/1951 at St. Peter Basilica, the biography of Paul Đổng had won admiration from those present for the courage, determination of a Vietnamese, although small and poor, but rich in indomitable spirit.
Hoàng Tôn Thất