Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Hanoi (Fides Service) - Today Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples started a nine day pastoral visit to the Church in Vietnam at the invitation of the Vietnamese bishops. He will visit the country’s three ecclesiastical regions, have meetings with the bishops, priests, religious and laity, preside the inauguration of the new diocese of Ba Ria and ordain 57 new priests.
The Cardinal arrived at Noi Bai airport and went immediately to meet the clergy, religious and the laity of the diocese Hanoi cathedral where he was welcomed by the preisdent of the Bishops’ Conference Bishop Paul Nguyên Van Hôa of Nha Trang diocese. In his address Cardinal Sepe expressed esteem and gratitude to the local Church for helping the “often difficult and delicate development of religious life of Catholics in parishes and Christian communities in the diocese” and assured those present of the Apostolic Blessing of Pope Benedict XVI.
Among common elements in the lives of priests and religious Cardinal Sepe mentioned lifelong consecration to God either through Holy Orders or Religious Vows. Consecration is a “deliberate and joyful decision to belong totally to God, taken in freedom and awareness, the Cardinal said, but it must not be forgotten that God takes the initiative and sows the seed of a vocation. “From all eternity you are loved by God and your vocation is a sign of God’s infinite goodness...the gift of your life is realised in the Church and for the Church” said the Cardinal Sepe.
Because Vietnamese Catholics represent less than 10% of the population the Cardinal said the clergy should take the “apostolic dimension of priestly ministry very seriously”and he urged them to take as a model for evangelisation Jesus Christ sent by the Father and “grow every day in mission awareness which will stimulate and dynamise your priesthood”. A priest must also be “filled with pastoral concern and love for his flock”, and the exercise of these functions demands and presupposes holiness of life. The Cardinal said even today Saint John Vianney remains a “model” of holiness for priests.
Addressing women religious present Cardinal Sepe greeted in a special way a group of Sisters Lovers of the Cross representing their Sisters working all over Vietnam and the Sisters of Saint Paul de Chartres. The Cardinal encouraged the Sisters Adorers of the Cross active collaborators in missionary work founded in 1670 by Bishop Lambert de la Motte, expressing admiration for their effective and generous work undertaken with small means, underlining the importance of sound formation for novices. “I pray to God than you may gradually acquire complete formation in all the different aspects of religious life and live ever more profoundly the charisma of your founder.”. Another aspect underlined by Cardinal Sepe regarding all relgious was holiness of life: “The necessity of holiness of life comes from the universal call to holiness and religious are witnesses to this calling”. Cardinal ended his address encouraging clegy and religious to “live with pride and joy the life of consecration to which you are called to be faithful”. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 28/11/2005, righe 43; parole 607)
