Honoring Catholics who are "God-fearing and patriotic".
"Living the Gospel in the heart of the nation to serve the happiness of our compatriots" – this direction of Catholics has always been continued and spread.
Today (October 12th), Hanoi, the capital city, is the gathering place for 400 priests, religious, and lay people in an event held every five years: the 7th Congress of Vietnamese Catholics for National Construction and Defense.
One of the important objectives of the Congress is to honor exemplary Catholics who, through their concrete and practical actions, are contributing to the building of their homeland and country every day and every hour.
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| Father John Baptist Nguyen Tan Sang in My Tho City, Tien Giang Province, not only runs a 2,000 VND rice restaurant for the poor but also actively engages in charitable work. (Photo: Vietnam Catholic Solidarity Committee) |
In the emulation movements of Catholics, many exemplary figures have emerged, such as Father Nguyen Ngoc Phi in Da Nang. Besides his work as a priest, he is also a musician, writer, poet, Catholic translator, and a Vietnamese record holder, having composed over 300 fables and more than 500 songs, mainly religious music. In 2017, the priest was honored with a certificate and a trophy as a "Typical Vietnamese Intellectual of the Ho Chi Minh Era." Another example is Catholic layman Tran Van Kieu in the Bui Chu-Nam Dinh diocese. With his bold investment in waste treatment technology, he became one of the young talents honored by the President with the title "Entrepreneur of the Ho Chi Minh Era"...
There are many more examples of Catholics quietly spreading their virtues, silently contributing to society with the spirit of "reverence for God and love for the country." Seven million Catholics, present throughout the country, participate in almost all aspects of socio-economic life. They are part of the nation, integrated into the national flow, desiring national development and a prosperous life for the people, because "when the nation prospers, the faith shines."
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| Phuong Chinh Parish Church, Hai Trieu Commune, Hai Hau District, Nam Dinh Province. |
Somewhere out there, priests and lay people still harbor strong prejudices and haven't truly cooperated with the authorities, but that's only a very small number.
"Living the Gospel in the heart of the nation to serve the happiness of our compatriots" – this direction of Catholics has always been continued and spread. As the second largest religion in Vietnam after Buddhism, both in the past and present, the State has always respected and created conditions for the development of Catholicism. This is demonstrated by the increase in followers as well as the training schools, charitable and humanitarian organizations run by Catholics. Sharing a common goal and looking in the same direction, there is never a gap between Catholics and non-Catholics.
