ASIA/VIETNAM - Chronicle of the history of the Catholic Church in Vietnam Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - On the occasion of the Ad Limina Apostolorum Visit of the Bishops of Vietnam, 22 June, Fides publishes information on the life of the local Catholic Church, other religions present, the economy and society.

Chronicle of the history of the Catholic Church in Vietnam:
Catholicism was introduced in Vietnam in the 16th century by Portuguese, Spanish and French missionaries:
1533: A European called Inekhu (Ignatius?) arrives in Ninh Cuong, today diocese of Bui Chu, to undertake evangelisation.
1550: Fr Gaspar de Santa Cruz, OP, arrives from Malacca to Ha Tien, diocese of Long Xuyen, to undertake evangelisation.
1580-1586: Father Luis da Fonseca and Father Grégoire de la Motte, OP, arrive in Quang Nam.
1583: Fathers Bartolomeo Ruiz, Pedro Ortiz, Francisco de Montilla and 4 Franciscan Brothers arrive from the Philippines and begins to preach in the north.
1591: Fr Padro Ordenez de Cevallos baptises Princess Mai Hoa (Maria Flora), sister of King Le The Tong.
1615: Official beginning of the mission in Cochinchina with the arrival of Jesuits Francesco Buzzoni and Diego Carvalho;
1624: Arrival in Tonchino (northern Vietnam) of Fr. Alexandre de Rhodes, S.J. and companions. He was present at the baptism administered by Fr F. de Pina to Madame Minh Duc Vuong Thai Phi (1568-1648), wife of the little King Nguyen Hoang, with the name of Maria Magdalene.
1625: Edict of Nguyen Phuc Nguyen prohibits Catholics from wearing the crucifix and displaying crosses in homes.
1628: Edict of Trinh Trang prohibits Catholics from having contact with missionaries.
1630: Interdiction of Christianity and expulsion of Fr. de Rhodes; a Catholic with the name of Francis, a worker at the royal court, is decapitated; and is the first martyr of north Vietnam.
1640: Edict against Christianity.
1650: Fr. Alexandre de Rhodes received in audience by Pope Innocent X (1644-1655) to report on the missionary situation in Vietnam and request the establishment of a local Hierarchy for Vietnam.
1651: In Rome, Fr. Alexandre de Rhodes publishes his first 3 works, printed by the College Propaganda Fide: Tu Dien Viet Bo La (Dictionarium Annamiticum Lusitanum et Latinum, 5-2-1651); Sach Van Pham Vietnam (Linguae Annamiticae seu Tonchinensis Brevis Declaratio, 5-2-1651); Sach giao ly song ngu Phep Giang Tam Ngay (Catechismus pro ius qui volunt suscipere Baptismum in octo dies divisus, 2-10-1651).
1659: Alexander VII creates two Apostolic Vicariates: Giao Phan Dang Trong (Vicariate Apostolic in the south including Siam and Cambodia) entrusted to the Apostolic Vicar Mgr Lambert de la Motte; and Giao Phan Dang Ngoai (Vicariate Apostolic in the North, including part of southern China), entrusted to Mgr Francois Pallu.
1663: Persecution starts; last Jesuits expelled.
1668: Ordination at the Seminary of Ayuthia of the first two local priests, one from Tonchino and the other Cochinchina.
1954: Division of Vietnam: the north under Communist regime, the South under a democratic regime; about one million refugees leave the North seeking freedom in the South.
1960: 24 November the Catholic Hierarchy is established.
1975: 30 April, Communists invade from the north and the country is united with force under the Communist regime. Consequences: seminaries and novitiates are closed; Catholic schools are confiscated; Coadjutor Bishop of Saigon imprisoned, the Apostolic Delegate expelled, government interference and rigid control for the appointment of bishops and ordination of priests. Contact between the Holy See and the Bishops becomes difficult.
1980: First plenary assembly of the Catholic Bishops' Conference after national reunification. Pastoral Letter issued in 1980 states pastoral priority: "Living the Gospel among the people, to serve the people ". From 17 June first group of Vietnamese Bishops on ad limina visit, led by Cardinal Joseph Maria Trinh Van Can. From 9 September another group comes, led by Archbishop Paul Nguyen Van Binh.
1988: Canonisation of 117 martyrs, including missionaries, 11 Spanish and 10 French.
1989: Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, Special Envoy of the Holy Father Pope John Paul II visits 10 of the country's 25 dioceses;
1990: First visit to Vietnam of Holy See Delegation led by Cardinal Roger Etchegaray for talks with the government. A total 15 such visits were carried out; the most recent, the 16th , was made from 16 to 21 February 2009. (2 – to be followed) (PA) (Agenzia Fides 24/06/2009; righe 56, parole 645)