The closing ceremony of the the eighth congress of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (Source: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The eighth congress ofthe Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) concluded in Hanoi on November 22, with MostVenerable Thich Pho Tue re-honoured as Supreme Patriarch of the VBS.
The closing ceremony was attended by 1,250 Buddhist dignitaries, monks, nunsand followers both at home and abroad.
The congress also elected 96 members of the Patronage Council with MostVenerable Thich Pho Tue as the Patriarch of the council’s standing board, alongwith 225 official members and 45 alternate members of the Executive Councilheaded by Most Venerable Thich Thien Nhon for the 2017-2022 tenure.
The participants reviewed the operation of the Sangha from 2012-2017 and setout an operational programme for the next five years.
Accordingly, the VBS will maintain and promote values of Vietnamese Buddhism witha combination of tradition and modernity, expand multilateral foreign relationsand intensify communications work.
The VBS has chapters in all 63 citiesand provinces, and Associations of Vietnamese Buddhists in 11 countriesworldwide. There are four Buddhism universities, eight college-level trainingprogrammes and 34 primary Buddhism schools.
Dr. Bui Huu Duoc, head of the Buddhism Department of the GovernmentCommittee for Religious Affairs, said Buddhism has been growing fast, with thenumber of Buddhist followers rising to nearly 40 million people, making up morethan 40 percent of the nation’s population.-VNA
VNA
