Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Fides Service) - “We are living a year of Evangelisation which is proving to be a new start for the Church in Vietnam. People are returning to the faith and there is growing awareness that every Christian is called to bear witness” says Bishop Joseph Hoang Van Tiem of Bui Chu diocese in southern Vietnam who is in Rome to take part in the study Seminar for newly appointed bishops of mission territories organised by the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples.
“The Church in Vietnam is living a Holy Year of Evangelisation, to commemorate and celebrate the 470th anniversary of the arrival of the first missionaries in our country. The Bishops are encouraging Vietnamese Catholics to pray and offer little sacrifices to support the work of evangelisation. We hope to increase awareness that mission is a duty for every believer not only for priests and religious”.
“The Holy See has given us the faculty of granting plenary indulgences to pilgrims to cathedrals and special Churches indicated by the local bishop in the different dioceses. This has increased the number of people who make pilgrimages and receive the sacraments and is has also brought many to rediscover their faith and return to the Church. We see the Church in Vietnam making a new start despite difficulties. ” the Bishop told Fides.
Bishop Van Tiem said the Bishops have sent priests, sisters and laity in pairs on home visiting mission to visit the sick, the elderly and the poor. “They do works of charity: they wash and dress the sick, carry them food and clean clothing and give them loving care. This mission of love is a mission of silent caring for others. Only if people ask why they do this, do they share their faith in Christ. This way of evangelising is in keeping with the oriental tradition which has great respect for others”.
The Bishop told us about pastoral activity in his diocese. “In Bui Chu we have about 378,000 Catholics, 73 priests and more than 550 women religious of five different congregations who offer a daily witness of generosity and dedication. We have some difficulty with providing theological formation for seminarians. In effect seminarians have to find someone who will sponsor their time at the seminary because the local Church cannot afford to pay for their board and lodging.”.
The local Church runs kindergartens and orphanages and youth groups with the spirit of Don Bosco which Bishop Van Tiem lives and tries to pass on. “The first Salesians reached Vietnam in 1952 and they take care of children and young people. Today they are present in parishes and in southern Vietnam they have two institutes of professional formation. In the north the life of the Church and religious congregations is more difficult because of government restrictions and control”.
“The greatest challenge and our main aim - the Bishop concluded - is to serve the people of Vietnam. We regret that we are unable to give enough attention to the many vocations because we are only allowed to accept a certain number of candidates to seminaries. Nonetheless we have great hopes that the Church in Vietnam will grow. We continue to work mainly to promote religious formation”.
(PA) (Agenzia Fides 14/9/2004 lines 55 words 545)
