Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Hung Hoa (Agenzia Fides) - "The motto of the newly elected Bishop is 'Unity and Love': unity in Christianity is being one with Christ through the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Love is the essence of our God, God is love. Unity and love are inseparable. For this reason the new Bishop has chosen the day of Saint Valentine, holy martyr and saint of love, for his episcopal ordination. The Bishop is called to ensure the unity and love of all Catholics in the diocese, unity with God and with the universal Church. The Bishop is like the trunk of a tree from which all the branches, leaves, fruits, flowers depart, so that the sap of God's love circulates in that tree and spreads to those branches, flowers, leaves and fruits. That is why the bishop is truly the indispensable intermediary of Unity and Love". This was stated by Bishop Alphonso Nguyen Huu Long, of the diocese of Vinh, during the celebration held this morning, February 14, at Loc Son Cathedral, for the episcopal ordination of Monsignor Dominic Hoang Tien Dat, appointed by Pope Francis Bishop of the diocese of Hung Hoa on December 18, 2021. At the solemn concelebration, attended by cardinals and numerous bishops from all over Vietnam, and in the presence of Archbishop Marek Zalewski, non-resident apostolic nuncio in Vietnam, Msgr. Dominic Hoang Tien Dat, ninth bishop of the Hung Hoa diocese was presented to the faithful. The diocese, north of Hanoi, is 127 years old and has almost 300,000 faithful spread over a vast territory, which includes 10 provinces and cities with 30 ethnic groups, with different cultures and languages. Bishop Alphonso Nguyen Huu Long continued: "Over the past 25 years, the diocese of Hung Hoa has implemented a pastoral plan to build communities of strong faith, fervent worship, passionate love and ardent missionary spirit, which the new Bishop will undoubtedly carry forward".
At the end of the Mass, the new Bishop, Dominic Hoang Tien Dat told those present: "First of all, I would like to thank God for the great gift he has given me. Today, in Christ and in the Catholic Church, I continue the tradition of the Apostles to become a Bishop in the diocese of Hung Hoa. Although man is imperfect, weak, God chooses us and calls each one of us with love and I know that he will guide each step of my vocation. I thank the former bishops present here, and we thank the martyrs of the diocese of Hung Hoa, who gave their lives to build the community both with concrete works and with prayers. Today, thanks to them, we have a diocese that has developed in many fields. Inspired by them, we will build together love and unity among all the members of God's people, so that each one of us always lives according to the ardent call of Jesus: Love one another. In this spirit of witness to the faith, let us announce the Good News of Jesus Christ to those around us". (AD-PA) (Agenzia Fides, 14/2/2022)
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