Senior officials visit southern Catholic, Protestant followers ahead of Christmas

HCM City (VNA) – On behalf of the leaders of the Party, State, and Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee, Politburo member and Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh visited the Archbishop’s Palace of Ho Chi Minh City Archdiocese and the General Confederation of the Evangelical Church of Vietnam (South) on December 21, on the occasion of Christmas 2022 and New Year 2023.

At the Archbishop’s Palace of Ho Chi Minh City Archdiocese, Minh extended Christmas and New Year greetings to local Catholic dignitaries and followers.

He briefed them on Vietnam’s economic, cultural, and social development, and thanked their contributions to the common achievements, especially in the COVID-19 fight and post-pandemic recovery and development.

Expressing his delight at the growth of relations between Vietnam and the Vatican, he affirmed that the Party and State have consistently respected and guaranteed people’s right to freedom of religion and belief, met rights and legimate interests of religions, and created conditions for religious followers, including Catholics, to practice their religions and uphold the spirit of “living the gospel amidst the nation”, thereby helping strengthen the great national solidarity bloc and promote national development.

The official appreciated Archbishop Nguyen Nang’s unceasing efforts in his leadership of HCM City Archdiocese and presidency of the Vietnam Conference of Bishops, including instructing priests and dignitaries to encourage followers to live a good secular and religious life, to contribute to the development of HCM City and the country as a whole.

He also expressed his hope that Archbishop Nang and other Catholic dignitaries of HCM City will continue bringing into play the solidarity tradition, build the Vietnam Catholic Church in line with the motto of “living the gospel amidst the nation for the sake of compatriots’ happiness”, actively engage in patriotic emulation movements and the consolidation of the great national solidarity bloc, thus helping with the country’s prosperous development.

Also offering Christmas and New Year greetings to Party and State leaders, Archbishop Nguyen Nang expressed his delight at the country’s enormous attainments, noting resources from Catholics and religious followers in general are considerable and that the Catholic community has greatly contributed to local and national development.

He thanked the Government for its assistance to activities of Catholic followers, and pledged to continue encouraging dignitaries and followers to comply with the Party and State’s guidelines, policies, and laws; to live a good secular and religious life; to actively take part in patriotic emulation movements; and to join hands with other residents in HCM City in boosting national development in all aspects.

Visiting the General Confederation of the Evangelical Church of Vietnam (South), Deputy PM Minh highly valued the role of Pastor and Chairman of the general confederation Thai Phuoc Truong, other pastors and dignitaries, and followers of Protestantism, who have always practiced their religion in line with the Church’s guidelines and legal regulations.

He also called on them to continue upholding the solidarity spirit and the motto of “living the gospel, serving the Christ, and serving the Fatherland and the people” so as to help with the national construction.

Pastor and Chairman Truong thanked the Party, State, and VFF Central Committee for supporting the Church and Protestants nationwide to practice the religion and develop.

He pledged to keep instructing Protestant dignitaries, officers, and followers to live a good secular and religious life and actively participate in patriotic emulation campaigns.

Also on December 21, Bui Thi Minh Hoai, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Chairwoman of its Commission for Mass Mobilisation, visited and extended Chirstmas greetings to the Episcopal Palace of Long Xuyen Diocese in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang.

Hoai highlighted Vietnam’s socio-economic achievements in 2022 and attributed those successes partly to contributions by Catholic followers and dignitaries.

She also voiced her delight at the development of Long Xuyen Diocese and improvements in Catholics’ material and spiritual life.

The official said she hopes that the Episcopal Palace and Bishop Tran Van Toan will maintain coordination with local authorities and organisations to encourage followers to live a good secular and religious life, be exemplary and patriotic citizens, adhere to the party’s guildeines and the State’s policies and laws, and activel engage in patriotic movements.

Bishop Toan noted over the past years, the Party, State, and VFF Central Committee have always paid attention to the spiritual life of Catholic followers and created conditions for them to take part in religious activities.

He affirmed that in the time ahead, he will further encourage Catholics to stay united, comply with the Party and State’s policies and laws, and participate in patriotic emulation movements to contribute to socio-economic development and defence - security safeguarding./.