President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee NguyenThien Nhan extended his greetings to Catholic dignitaries in thecentral province of Thanh Hoa on February 5 ahead of the upcomingtraditional Lunar New Year (Tet).
While meetingwith local Catholics at the Thanh Hoa bishop’s palace, Nhan acknowledgedtheir significant contributions to the cause of national independenceand freedom as well as their achievements in implementing the Party andState’s guidelines, policies, and laws.
Even intimes of peace, Catholics have actively participated in patrioticdisplays, charitable activities, maintaining social order and security,modernising rural areas, and strengthening national unity, he said.
The VFF leader said he hopes Catholic followers will take a moreactive role in provincial socio-economic development and buildingcultural life in residential areas.
Bishop NguyenChi Linh pledged to work regularly with local authorities to care forparishioners and augment their sense of civic responsibility, whileencouraging them to join in VFF activities and develop socio-economicaffairs.
The same day, Nhan visited and presentedgifts to a dozen of poor Catholic families at the Dien Ho, Nga Dien andNga Son parishes.
Catholicism constitutes the secondlargest religious community in Vietnam, behind Buddhism (over 12million), with 5.7 million followers, followed by Hoa Hao (1.4 million),Cao Dai (808,000), Protestantism (734,000), Islam (73,000), andBrahmanism (56,000).-VNA