President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF)’s Central Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan extended season’s greetings to Catholic dignitaries and followers during his visit to the Xuan Loc Bishop Office in southern Dong Nai province on December 13 in the lead up to Christmas.

He took the occasion to inform the bishops and dignitaries at the office about the progress in the relationship between Vietnam and the Vatican, including the outcomes of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s visit to the Vatican and his talks with Pope Francis in October.

The VFF President quoted Pope Francis’s remarks to Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung at their talks that Vietnamese Catholic should be good citizens and should work with the nation to build a country of prosperity and happiness.

He spoke highly of the diocese’s charity activities and urged the dignitaries, with their role and prestige, to increase dialogue and connections with local authorities and the VFF to strengthen national solidarity.

Bishop Nguyen Chu Trinh said the diocese raised 126 billion VND to help the poor this year, adding that Xuan Loc diocese has 248 parishes with 940,000 Catholic followers.

On the same day, the VFF President called on Dong Nai province’s Committee for Catholic Solidarity.

He affirmed that the VFF Central Committee will do its best to help the Vietnam Committee for Catholic Solidarity at all levels to fulfil its task as a bridge connecting Catholics nationwide, thus contributing to the national great unity.-VNA