VietNamNet Bridge - Archbishop of the Hanoi Archdiocese Pierre Nguyen Van Nhon vowed to continue encouraging Catholic dignitaries and believers to follow the Party and State’s guidelines, policies and the law.
The Archbishop made the pledge while meeting with President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Huynh Dam in Hanoi Friday as Dam paid a Christmas visit to him.
Wishing the Catholic dignitaries and the Hanoi archdiocese’s followers a merry and happy Christmas, Dam noted that Catholic followers have during the past years upheld the tradition of patriotism and enthusiastically taken part in national emulation movements launched by the Vietnam Fatherland Front.
He expressed his wishes that the Hanoi Archbishop and other Catholic dignitaries will make further contributions to the fatherland and the Church, helping strengthen and enhance the national great unity bloc to realize the goal of building a strong country with rich people and a just and civilized society.
In Ho Chi Minh City, Le Thanh Hai, a Party politburo member and secretary of the municipal party committee, paid Christmas visits to the HCMC Archdiocese, the Adventist Church, and outstanding Catholic followers in the city.
At the HCMC Archdiocese office, Hai spoke highly of Catholic and Protestant followers’ practical contributions as well as their joint efforts with the people to overcome difficulties, maintaining political security and promoting socio-economic development in the city.
Cardinal Pham Minh Man affirmed that the Vietnam Catholic Church is loyal to God and closely connected with the nation.
Pastor Tran Cong Tan of the Adventist Church expressed his gratitude to the Party and State’s care, considering it as a vivid manifestation of the Party and State’s policy on religious and belief freedom.
He affirmed that the Adventist Church will participate in socio-economic development and emulation campaigns in the city and in efforts to make the country more prosperous and civilized.
The same day, Hai and other municipal leaders visited an outstanding Catholic researcher Nguyen Dinh Dau and presented the State President’s National Great Unity Order and gifts to him in recognition of his immense contributions to the national construction and defense and the national great unity cause.
Previously, a delegation from the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee led by Vice President Tran Hoang Tham paid Christmas visits to the HCMC Archdiocese and the General Confederation of the Vietnamese Protestant Church in the Southern region.
On the day, Ha Thi Khiet, Party Central Committee Secretary and Head of the Central Commission for Mass Mobilization made Christmas visits to dignitaries at the Hue city Archdiocese and followers in the central city of Hue.
In the central highlands province of Dak Nong, the provincial authorities held a ceremony to present the State President’s National Great Unity Order to Priest Tran Xuan Cuong, Vice President of the Vietnam Committee for Catholic Solidarity and President of the provincial Committee for Catholic Solidarity.
Priest Cuong was honored for making numerous contributions to promoting national unity and the relations between religious and non-religious people and for being one of the enthusiasts in the Catholic community’s social movements as well as charitable activities in the locality.
Christmas cheer for Christians from Deputy PM
Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem Thursday visited Christian dignitaries at the Hanoi Archbishop’s Office and the Evangelical Church of Vietnam (North) on the occasion of this year’s Christmas.
At the Hanoi Archbishop’s Office, Deputy PM Khiem, on behalf of the Party and State, wished all priests, dignitaries and believers of the diocese a merry and happy Christmas.
Deputy PM Khiem, Archbishop Peter Nguyen Van Nhon and other dignitaries shared their interests on issues of social welfare and their joy at the national economic and political development.
He praised the great contributions of Catholic followers to the country’s achievements. He affirmed that the success of the celebration of the 1,000th birthday of Hanoi proved the importance of the strength of national solidarity.
He also spoke highly of contributions of Catholic followers across the country to the past struggle for national liberation and the current national construction.
He expressed his hope that the Archbishop would encourage Catholic followers to respect God, while joining hands with the entire nation to achieve the target of a strong country with rich people and an equitable, democratic and civilised society.
For his part, Archbishop Peter Nguyen Van Nhon, who is also President of the Vietnam Episcopal Council, expressed his belief that with joint efforts, the country would obtain even greater achievements in the future.
At the headquarters of the Evangelical Church of Vietnam (North), Deputy PM Khiem expressed his season’s best wishes to all Protestants and affirmed the country’s consistent policy of respecting religious freedom and creating favourable conditions for people to follow their religions.
On behalf of the administration board of the General Confederation of the Evangelical Church of Vietnam (North), Pastor Nguyen Huu Mac, head of the Evangelical Church of Vietnam (North), said that in 2010 the church stablised its organisation and guided its followers to practice their religion, thanks to favourable conditions created by Party and State as well as authorities at all levels.
