Unity of religions and non-religious people

(Baonghean) - Building the great national unity bloc is a major policy of the Party and State, in which religious unity is one of the tasks throughout all stages of development. Currently, there are about 250,000 Catholics in the province, accounting for 8.2% of the province's population. The work of building solidarity between religions and non-religious people has been cared for and nurtured by local Party committees, authorities and people.

Typical examples

These days, the Christmas atmosphere is filled with the Catholic community, with joy and excitement of everyone, every family. In Block 5, Thu Thuy Ward, Cua Lo Town, we noticed the enthusiasm and urgency of the people here preparing to welcome Christmas. The reconstruction of the cave where the Baby Jesus was born is being meticulously polished by the youth in the neighborhood, offering it to God on the holy day. Block leader Vo Huy Tich said: "Christmas has now become a common festival. Most of the non-Catholic households in the neighborhood join hands to decorate for the holiday. Christmas Eve is not only a sacred night for Catholics but also a night of joy and solidarity between Catholics and non-Catholics". Block 5 has 124 households, of which 95 are Catholic households. It seems that there is no distinction or separation in the residential area here. It has become a tradition that when a family has an accident, people in the block, regardless of religion or non-religion, wholeheartedly care for and help, in the spirit of respecting each other's cultural and religious practices. Mr. Vo Huy Tich said that last year, the son of a non-religious family unfortunately had an accident on the river, and people in the whole block 5 took turns looking for and supporting the victim's family. The love of the village and neighborhood has erased all boundaries, blending into a strong community.

The solidarity of the religious and non-religious bloc is not only expressed in the emotional bond as above, but also in the efforts, together building a civilized life, fulfilling the duties of exemplary citizens. Mr. Nguyen Dinh Nhung - Head of Block 6, Thu Thuy Ward, Cua Lo Town could not help but be proud when mentioning the spirit of volunteerism, self-consciousness in contributing and participating of the people in building a 300m long inter-block road on the occasion of celebrating the 20th anniversary of the town's establishment.

People of Thuan Giang Parish, Quynh Hung Commune (Quynh Luu) work on rural traffic. Photo: Nhu Thuy

Similarly, in Tan Ky district, parishioners donated 6,000 m2 of land, contributed more than 20 million VND and 150 working days to build roads. At Hong Phuc parish, Nghia Phuc commune, 3 parishioner households donated 2,500 m2 to build a kindergarten cluster. In Quynh Luu, parishioners donated 25,428 m2 of land, 1,470 m of surrounding walls, dismantled many auxiliary works and perennial trees, supported 2,310 working days, and contributed 2.84 billion VND to build roads according to new rural criteria. In Do Luong district, parishioners donated 14,587 m2 of land, contributed 324 million VND, and completed 6 km of rural concrete roads and 27 km of intra-field roads. In Vinh My and Tan Yen parishes (Vinh Tan, Vinh City), people donated nearly 600 square meters of land to build two anti-flooding roads, contributed nearly 50 million VND and hundreds of working days, and built 200 meters of concrete road. In addition, there are many models of solidarity between Catholics and non-Catholics to build new rural areas, typically in village 5, Hoa Son commune; village 7, Hung Son commune; village 11, Tuong Son commune (Anh Son); Phu Long village, Hung Long commune; Ke Gai village, Hung Tay commune (Hung Nguyen)...

Nuclear spread

In localities with strong solidarity between Catholics and non-Catholics, it is easy to see the presence of core nuclei in creating connections between the two communities as well as between the people and the Party Committee and the government. First of all, it is necessary to mention organizations and unions right from the block and hamlet levels such as the Veterans Association, Farmers Association, Youth Association, Women's Association, Elderly Association, etc. In Block 6, Thu Thuy Ward, Cua Lo Town, the "pioneer" in the movement of solidarity between Catholics and non-Catholics is the Veterans Association. Block leader Nguyen Dinh Nhung is also the Chairman of the Veterans Association. The members of the association believe that they must be exemplary in loving God and the Country, and fulfilling their obligations to society and the church. Therefore, the Veterans Association of the block always takes the lead in implementing the policies and guidelines of the Party and the State, and actively propagates and mobilizes people to implement them.

According to Mr. Nhung, to create trust, in addition to being a role model, one must also truly care and look after the lives of the people. As one of the first families with children working abroad in the block, he has helped many families access the State's policies and support loans, even lending money himself to people in the block so that their children can work abroad, increasing their income and improving their lives. Thanks to that, the lives of the people in block 6 have now stabilized, and people are aware of the Party and State's guidelines, policies and care. Since then, everyone has strived to strengthen solidarity and fulfill their civic duties and responsibilities.

In Anh Son district, the core of building solidarity between Catholics and non-Catholics is the Women's Union with the model of "regional religious branches". Catholic Nguyen Thi Thuan - Head of Branch 11 believes: For her, worldly and religious affairs are equally important. Every time she participates in branch activities, participates in the "Family raising healthy children, teaching good children" club, implements the "5 no, 3 clean" movement... she always finds ways to incorporate them to propagate the policies and guidelines of the Party and the State. Thanks to the good work of the association, in the past year, the Heart of Love fund launched by the Central Association in village 11 has been effective, providing women with capital to increase production, improve their lives, and strive to get rich...

To have typical examples of connecting the solidarity between Catholics and non-Catholics as mentioned above, local Party committees and authorities should increase meetings and encourage Party members in religious areas and organizations to actively stick to the grassroots and share with the people. Comrade Phan Trung My - Secretary of Party Cell Block 5, Thu Thuy Ward, Cua Lo Town shared: "As the only Catholic in a Party Cell of 18 Party members, I am always aware of my role and responsibility in receiving and implementing the policies and guidelines of the Party and State, thereby promptly leading the bloc's movements in a comprehensive manner. In addition, it is necessary to maximize democracy, collective intelligence as well as the influence and prestige of associations and organizations. These are the extended arms of the Party and government to firmly connect Catholics and non-Catholics right from the alleys and residential groups...".

Respect, understanding and love

Religious unity is an important factor in building great national unity. That is the guiding ideology of our Party in all periods. Right in the first meeting of the provisional government (September 3, 1945), President Ho Chi Minh affirmed: "Colonialists and feudalists implemented a policy of dividing religious and non-religious compatriots to make it easier to dominate. I propose that our Government declare: Freedom of belief and solidarity between religious and non-religious people".

In order for this correct and humane viewpoint and policy to truly enter life, it is necessary to correctly perceive the core of the work of building solidarity between Catholics and non-Catholics. The first foundation and the sustainable factor is the respect from both sides: Catholics and non-Catholics, and Party committees and authorities with the people. Religion is just one of many factors that form cultural and ideological diversity, thereby promoting social progress. However, in this field, it is necessary to clearly recognize that there are differences in beliefs but they are not contradictory. This means that everyone has the right to preserve their own value systems and ideologies - which can be beliefs, ethnicity, traditions... but must be based on respecting the rights of individuals and communities, and at the same time must be in harmony with the common interest. On the part of Party committees and authorities, it is necessary to pay attention to and listen to the aspirations and opinions of the people to ensure freedom of faith and belief; Explain questions and thoroughly and transparently resolve arising issues and conflicts, on the basis of respecting doctrine and complying with the law.

Stating the above viewpoints is somewhat “philosophical”, but in reality, the related issues arise from seemingly very normal things in life. A typical example is the question of the parishioners of Quan Lang Parish, Anh Son District about the loss of 8 flags on the parish’s holiday. However, when the Party Committee, the government and the people in the area clarified the matter, unnecessary misunderstandings were eliminated, and solidarity in the community was strengthened. That is what the Party Committee and the government of Anh Son have done, thereby creating a foundation for the solidarity of Catholics and non-Catholics to work together to build an increasingly rich and civilized homeland.

The important thing to build the great national unity is that we clearly perceive the connection of “blood of the race” from the beginning of the birth of the nation by Au Co. For a Catholic, there is no need to ask the question: which identity comes first, Vietnamese citizen or Catholic (?) Because these two things inherently exist together in a unified entity, blending together in the common flow of faith and national spirit. In the 1980 General Letter of the Vietnamese Bishops' Council, it was also affirmed: "Regarding the first task of actively contributing with the people of the whole country to protect and build the Fatherland, we want to affirm that: loving the Fatherland, loving fellow countrymen, for Catholics is not only a natural sentiment, but also a requirement of the Gospel, as the Community reminds: "Christians from all nations gather in the Church, not separated from others by regime, as well as by earthly social organization, so they must live for God and for Christ in the healthy lifestyle of their people; as good citizens, they must truly and actively cultivate patriotism"

Our patriotism must be practical, meaning we must be aware of the current problems of our homeland, understand the State's guidelines, policies and laws, and actively join our compatriots nationwide in contributing to protecting and building a rich, free and happy Vietnam.

Another Christmas season is coming. For a long time, this time of year has not only had a sacred meaning for Catholics but also become a cultural feature, a deep impression in the minds of Vietnamese people, regardless of religion or non-religion. It is a very clear proof of the humanistic exchange and integration between communities, bringing about a more diverse, colorful society and also more solidarity and friendliness. This season, many non-religious people have made Christmas trees, bought Christmas gifts for their children, and waited for the sacred moment of the birth of the Baby Jesus... Through that, we can see that, in order to love and bond with each other, we need to respect and understand each other's unique characteristics, thereby finding a common voice and a common path to move forward together. Taking the role of "leader" for that large choir is none other than the party organization - the nucleus of the great national unity bloc in general and the solidarity bloc of Catholics and non-religious people in particular.

Thanh Nga - Thuc Anh