Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Huê (Agenzia Fides) - After the pilgrimage to the national Marian shrine of Our Lady of La Vang and the blessing of the House of the Pilgrim, in the afternoon of Thursday 1 December Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, had a meeting with the Bishops of the ecclesiastical circumscription of Hue and he blessed a new Diocesan Pastoral Centre. “I thank you for your fraternal presence, but above all I thank you for your pastoral service, your apostolic zeal and your daily sacrifices for the Kingdom of God” the Cardinal told the Bishops encouraging them to “intensify effective and affective communion with the whole Church, the Pope and bishops and among yourselves”. As a sign of this communion the Cardinal passed on to the Bishops the Apostolic Blessing of Pope Benedict XVI .
From the assembly of Vietnamese Bishops in September it emerged that the situation in the dioceses wasrelatively stable, the Cardinal recalled although “some difficulties remain and will hopefully be overcome soon”. Positive elements included: ordination and transfer of priests is more frequent, building churches is less complicated, religious activities are gradually becoming normal routine. It was also possible to organise special initiatives during the Year of the Eucharist which has just ended. “In particular - Cardinal Sepe said - I am happy to know that the Missionary Society of Viêt Nam resumed its activity in 1999 and continues to promote vocations”. “I know the Lord is a Father to the Church in Viêt Nam very generous in his blessings. The apostolic results we see are fruits of common efforts and sincere and fraternal collaboration” the Cardinal said and asked the Bishops to thank on behalf of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples the priests, religious and lay Catholics for “their apostolic zeal and fidelity to the Christian life and the consecrated life”.
“Cultural and Religious Colloquiums” at which non Christians participated were “a genial means of evangelisation” which “which presents Christianity with discretion to non Christian intellectuals”. The Cardinal referred to frequent hostility to the faith in the world of today which “through secularisation undermines the foundations of spiritual and moral values and transmits life styles contrary to the values of the Gospel, human values and precious traditions of peoples... Jesus, the Lord of history is truly present among us. He calls us to convert our hearts and to ‘look for the signs of the times’. He calls us above all to bear witness to him through a holy life”.
Later Cardinal Sepe had a meeting with priests and men and women religious whom he described as “waves of the immense and deep ocean of God’s love sent to refresh and revive the beaches of your land and of the world”. In fact “we must emerge ourselves in the deep sea of God’s love if we are to be sent to the world with the heart of God. Our mission is above all a response to the desire of God who loves every man and women without reserve”.
The last event of the day was a meeting with young people to whom the Cardinal passed on the affectionate greeting and Blessing of Pope Benedict XVI. “Do not be afraid, the Cardinal told the young Vietnamese Catholics, to speak about Christ to people who have never heard of him: Christ is the only, authentic and complete answer to all the questions concerning the human person and human destiny. Without Him the human person remains an enigma which cannot be solved”. He encouraged the young people to give priority to spiritual values and said: “love your country, love the Church, love the Eucharist, the word of God, the Blessed Virgin Mary; be proud that you are Vietnamese, and that you are Catholics, strive to be the best citizens and Catholics of your country”. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 2/12/2005, righe 42; parole 639)
