HO CHI MINH CITY (UCAN): The chairperson of Vietnam’s National Assembly, Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, offered Christmas and New Year flowers and greetings to Archbishop Joseph Nguyen Chi Linh of Hue, Thua Thien-Hue province on December 22. She was accompanied by central and local officials.
The state-run Vietnam News Agency reported that Nguyen applauded the efforts of local in working with others to control the deadly Covid-19 coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, address the consequences of natural disasters and care for victims.
She said that she highly valued local people’s solidarity, which is partly attributed to active contributions made by religious groups.
Vietnam, is among only a few countries that can call 2020 a success, having achieved a measure of socioeconomic development despite great difficulties posed by Covid-19 during the year.
Nguyen also expressed appreciation of local Church leaders who encouraged people to obey the laws and provide emergency aid after severe floods, caused by heavy rains and typhoons in October and November, hit central provinces and left 249 dead, 57 missing and economic damage costing $10.07 billion.
Archbishop Nguyen, who is president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Vietnam, said local Catholics will cooperate with others to build a society of peace and prosperity as all people wish.
Other high-ranking officials also visited o the archbishops of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, and the bishops of Da Lat, Hung Hoa, Thanh Hoa and Vinh, while also visiting local Christians.
During a Christmas visit to Archbishop Joseph Nguyen Nang of Ho Chi Minh City, on December 21, the city’s Communist Party chief, Nguyen Van Nen, and six other officials returned five former church facilities as a gift to the local Church.
They said they would return two other Church facilities in My Hoa parish completing administrative procedures.
Nguyen said the return of the facilities “is a share of the city government to the archdiocese to together look after the people’s lives.”
Archbishop Nguyen said that “the archdiocese is happy to receive these buildings to serve necessary needs of local Catholics.”
The city is seeing an increase in its population, including local and overseas migrants, so many parishes do not have enough facilities to serve them, he said.
The communist government confiscated or borrowed many worship places along with all charity, healthcare and educational facilities run by religious groups in the north after 1954 and in the south after 1975. Only a few have been returned to the Church. Many buildings were sold, abandoned in poor condition or used for commercial purposes.
Vietnam recorded 1,441 coronavirus infections and 35 deaths as of December 29.
