Vietnam Catholics hold prayer vigil, call for government to return land to church

Thousands of Catholics blocked a busy street in Vietnam's capital Friday in a rare public demonstration, chanting and praying for the Communist government to return land once owned by the church.

A priest in a white robe carrying a large cross led a procession of parishioners, accompanied by a marching band, from St. Joseph's Cathedral in downtown Hanoi to the adjacent site of the former Vatican embassy, one of many church properties taken over by the Communist government after French colonialists were ousted in 1954.

The 1-hectare (2.5-acre) property is one of several sites the church is asking the government to return. Church officials say they have …