Archbishop of the Hanoi Archdiocese Pierre Nguyen Van Nhon vowed to continue encouraging Catholic dignitaries and believers to follow the Party and State’s guidelines, policies and the law.
The Archbishop made the pledge while meeting with President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Huynh Dam in Hanoi on Dec. 24 as Dam paid a Christmas visit to him.
Wishing the Catholic dignitaries and the Hanoi archdiocese’s followers a merry and happy Christmas, Dam noted that Catholic followers have during the past years upheld the tradition of patriotism and enthusiastically taken part in national emulation movements launched by the Vietnam Fatherland Front.
He expressed his wishes that the Hanoi Archbishop and other Catholic dignitaries will make further contributions to the fatherland and the Church, helping strengthen and enhance the national great unity bloc to realise the goal of building a strong country with rich people and a just and civilized society.
In Ho Chi Minh City, Le Thanh Hai, a Party politburo member and secretary of the municipal party committee, paid Christmas visits to the Ho Chi Minh City Archdiocese, the Adventist Church , and outstanding Catholic followers in the city.
At the HCM City Archdiocese office, Hai spoke highly of Catholic and Protestant followers’ practical contributions as well as their joint efforts with the people to overcome difficulties, maintaining political security and promoting socio-economic development in the city.
Cardinal Pham Minh Man affirmed that the Vietnam Catholic Church is loyal to God and closely connected with the nation.
Pastor Tran Cong Tan of the Adventist Church expressed his gratitude to the Party and State’s care, considering it as a vivid manifestation of the Party and State’s policy on religious and belief freedom.
He affirmed that the Adventist Church will participate in socio-economic development and emulation campaigns in the city and in efforts to make the country more prosperous and civilised.
The same day, Hai and other municipal leaders visited an outstanding Catholic researcher Nguyen Dinh Dau and presented the State President’s National Great Unity Order and gifts to him in recognition of his immense contributions to the national construction and defence and the national great unity cause.
Previously, a delegation from the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee led by Vice President Tran Hoang Tham paid Christmas visits to the HCM City Archdiocese and the General Confederation of the Vietnamese Protestant Church in the Southern region.
On the day, Ha Thi Khiet, Party Central Committee Secretary and Head of the Central Commission for Mass Mobilisation made Christmas visits to dignitaries at the Hue Archdiocese and followers in the central city of Hue.
In the central highlands province of Dak Nong , the provincial authorities held a ceremony to present the State President’s National Great Unity Order to Priest Tran Xuan Cuong, Vice President of the Vietnam Committee for Catholic Solidarity and President of the provincial Committee for Catholic Solidarity.
Priest Cuong was honoured for making numerous contributions to promoting national unity and the relations between religious and non-religious people and for being one of the enthusiasts in the Catholic community’s social movements as well as charitable activities in the locality./.
