Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Ho Chi Minh City (Fides Service) - The pastoral visit to Vietnam of Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples from Friday 2 to Sunday 4 November touched the archdiocese of Ho Chi Minh City. On Saturday 3 December feast of St Francis Xavier patron of missions the Cardinal presided a concelebrated Mass at the cathedral in the presence of 400 priests, 600 men and women religious and 700 lay Catholics. The Cardinal greeted the Archbishop Cardinal Jean-Baptiste Pham Minh Man and paid tribute to his predecessor Archbishop Paul Nguyen Van Binh and also to the deceased Cardinal Francois Xavier Van Thuan former Coadjutor of Saigon. Saint Francis Xavier, great evangeliser of the Far East, “responded generously to the Lord’s command crossing the world from Europe to India, from Ceylon to Japan to announce Christ” Cardinal Sepe said underlining that the “present situation of mission in the world is no better than the one described by St Francis Xavier” and encouraging those present to follow the example of Francis and make Jesus the centre of life and the “source of apostolic zeal”.
In the afternoon Card. Sepe visited a community of Sisters of the Congregation of the Lovers of the Cross in Cho Quan and the nearby Catholic parish opened in 1723. At the end of the day meeting delegates of non Christian religions, the Cardinal thanked them for coming to meet him and sent the respective communities his best wishes for prosperity, wellbeing and peace. In Vietnam Catholics are 7% of the population “they strive to fulfil their Christian and civil duties and to build fraternal relations with all human beings and with brothers and sisters of other religions”. Cardinal Sepe said the Catholic Church has profound respect for all religions which, particularly in recent times, “have an important part to play to promote peace which depends on common efforts for integral development of the person”.
On Sunday 4 December Card. Sepe visited the diocese’s Catholic Pastoral and Cultural Centre a place of study, growth in the faith, pilgrimage and prayer which offers a spiritual and cultural service. He launched an appeal “to undertake serious and objective scientific research on the history of evangelisation in Vietnam”, because “the truth liberates from any complex of inferiority or guilt which may weigh on hearts and minds”. After visiting the parish of Saint Paul - Binh Chanh, recently opened, and meeting the Bishops, the Cardinal went to the major seminary to speak to the students on the subject of missionary, spiritual and intellectual formation. “The great work of the first missionaries bore many fruits of great value - said Cardinal Sepe -. The Church in Vietnam manifests an intense vitality despite the difficult situation today. The history of courageous proclamation of the Gospel, persistent animation of Christian communities to be missionaries must be remembered… the vast majority of the people of Vietnam have not heard of Christ. You will be the first artisans of this evangelisation”.
At the Diocesan Cultural Centre the Cardinal had meeting with 6,000 young people and 1,000 married couples, people with a disability and people who care for those with AIDS. He told the young people present that the Church looks upon them “with confidence and love” because they are the future of the Church and the nation and he encouraged them to “love the Church, be the best Catholics in Vietnam”. He urged married couples to be faithful to their marriage vows and duties and to welcome children as a blessing and educate them to be good citizens and good Christians. Lastly he thanked the disabled Catholics present them for their courage and witness of faith and thanked people who take care of those with AIDS “an eloquent witness of love of neighbour”. At the end of the day Cardinal Sepe celebrated Mass of the 2nd Sunday of Advent at the archdiocesan Cultural Centre. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 5/12/2005, righe 49; parole 704)
