(VOV) The 3rd meeting of the Committee for the Solidarity of Vietnamese Catholics, which concluded in Ho Chi Minh city on Thursday, honored exemplary Catholic followers. Today’s Current Affairs will profile some who adhere to the Pope’s saying: “A good Catholic is a good citizen.”
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| Saint Joseph Cathedral in Hanoi |
Priest Phan Van Dien of Quan Vinh diocese, Nam Dinh province, is dedicated to working for the poor. Over the past 18 years, he has mobilized resources to create 60 water wells, 50 charity houses and 15 churches. His coastal diocese has 6,000 Catholic followers; most of them are engaged in farming and fishing with very small incomes. Priest Dien explains his philosophy: “Doing good deeds is in line with the Bible. Local authorities from provincial to communal levels recognize that we work on the spirit of charity, and fraternity, for God and for all humans. We always balance congregation and society”.
In the central highlands province of Lam Dong, priest Duong Cong Ho is in charge of the Da Teh diocese, home to nearly 4,000 Catholics. Ho is also head of a cooperative which employs some 800 workers. The young, dynamic priest wears khaki trousers and sport shoes to work, putting suit for receptions and meetings. His Hiep Nhat cooperative is now producing high-end rattan and bamboo handicraft items. Priest Duong Cong Ho is enthusiastic about his job: “Local people are actively joining our efforts because the Church does not intend to earn a profit for itself but to work with local authorities to reduce poverty and generate jobs. Vietnamese Catholics are capable and willing to do their utmost to make our country better”.
Following the motto “Live a good life for the happiness of compatriots”, priest Nguyen Van Tich of Tay Hai Church, Dong Nai province, has worked to assist HIV/AIDS carriers. He says that out of sympathy for them, he has mobilized public assistance. To date, more than 400 HIV carriers in the province have received free medical care. Father Nguyen Van Tich said: “What the congregation does is for the sake of the people. A priest is also a human being, who should take care of the poor and unfortunate people. I believe that a good religious follower will be a good secular person, because his belief will enlighten him”.
Priests who minister to the poor share the view that a good Catholic is a good citizen. Father Duong Cong Ho says: “Christianity’s glory is a living human being. That means if a follower embodies human virtues, Christianity is glorified.” Priest Phan Khac Tu, Vice Chairman and Secretary General of the Committee for the Solidarity of Vietnamese Catholics, says Vietnamese Catholics will continue upholding the tradition of national unity and promote the patriotic emulation movements for national construction and defence.
Huong Giang