a move to establish closer relations between the Vatican and the Communist Asian nation, Catholic officials confirmed Wednesday, December 7.
Cardinal Sepe said the new diocese "was a milestone" in the growth of the Catholic Church in Vietnam, despite reports of persecution of Christians.
Speaking at the ceremony for the establishment of Ba Ria diocese and the appointment of Bishop Nguyen Van Tram to lead the diocese in the city, Cardinal Sepe thanked local authorities for allowing the church to operate in the area. He also promised to donate money to the Vietnam Catholic Church’s HIV/AIDS program, at a time when the disease is still spreading throughout Asia.
As part of his trip, Cardinal Sepe met with Vietnamese youth and people caring for HIV/AIDS sufferers in the city of Hue.
PARTY POLICIES
Communist officials warned Sepe however that Catholics "are responsible for preserving solidarity, following Party and State policies and guidelines," in a sign that church activities will be closely monitored. The Catholics should lead "religious lives in harmony with secular activities to make their homeland more prosperous," according to published remarks obtained by BosNewsLife.
Despite the regulations, Cardinal Sepe told an estimated 10,000 worshippers at a Sunday mass at the Catholic Church’s cultural centre in Ho Chi Minh City that he was "happy to have had such a wonderful visit to Hanoi, Hue and Ho Chi Minh City." Cardinal Sepe said he would take home "images of cheerful and young Vietnamese in my heart."
During his stay in Vietnam from November 28, the Cardinal was received on separate occasions by Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan and the chairman of the Government’s Committee for Religious Affairs, Ngo Yen Thi. In addittion he met with leaders of the People’s Committees of Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Thua Thien-Hue, Ba Ria-Vung Tau and Dong Nai.
PRIESTS ORDAINED
He also led a ceremony to ordain 57 new priests from eight dioceses in northern Vietnam at the Hanoi cathedral and a mass at the La Vang church in Quang Tri province and met several Protestant and Buddhist leaders.
However evangelical Christians have warned that despite some apparent openness towards traditional churches, many Christians and ethnic minorities are still suffering. Churches have been raided and Christians are jailed in prisons and labor camps, according to Christian and secular human rights watchers.
Catholics comprise roughly 6.7% of Vietnam’s over 83 million people, said the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
