Catholic church ordains priests in Vietnam
HANOI - Thousands of people lined the streets Tuesday as the Roman Catholic Church ordained 57 new priests in an unprecedented ceremony that added the single largest number of priests in Vietnam at one time. Vatican envoy Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe presided over the three-hour ceremony held at St. Joseph's Cathedral in Hanoi, urging the new priests to spread their faith in the communist country.
"Like Jesus Christ, you should preach among all people and wash their sins," Sepe told the cheering crowds. "Loving Jesus Christ must be known through priests' teachings. Among 80 million Vietnamese, there are only 6 million Catholics."
The cardinal is the first senior Vatican official allowed to ordain priests in Vietnam, a significant step reflecting thawing relations as the Vatican and Hanoi move closer towards establishing diplomatic ties.
"This is a very special event," said Dang Duc Ngan, spokesman for the Hanoi Diocese. "Surely this is very strong step forward in relations between the Vatican and the government of Vietnam, who have seen their dialogue flourishing."
Vietnam has the second largest population of Catholics in Southeast Asia, behind the Philippines. Relations between Communist leaders and the Vatican have long been strained over Hanoi's insistence on having the final say in most church appointments.
However, ties have steadily improved in recent years with high-level Vatican visits and the appointments of Archbishop Jean-Baptiste Pham Minh Man in Ho Chi Minh City in 2003 and Joseph Ngo Quang Kiet as archbishop of Hanoi in March.
Pope Benedict XVI has made it clear he is intent on formalizing Vatican ties in Asia with countries that don't have them, specifically with China and Vietnam. Catholics are a minority in the region but the Roman Catholic Church sees opportunities for growth.
For the faithful, it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see an appointed representative of the pope in Vietnam. Barefoot farmers stood shoulder to shoulder with velvet-clad women, peering to catch a glimpse of the ceremony.
"I'm so happy I couldn't sleep last night," said Lai Thi Tu, 52, who left her home in northern Ha Tay province, about 20 miles south of Hanoi, at 4 a.m. to get a front-row view of the ceremony.
"All the people have wanted this. We want more ceremonies so we can have more priests to preach to us," she said. "Right now, one priest is in charge of six parishes."
By Tini Tran - The Associated Press - November 29, 2005.
Thousands attend unprecedented Catholic ordination in Vietnam
HANOI - Thousands of Roman Catholics have packed the streets of Hanoi for the unprecedented ordination of 57 priests by a
Vatican cardinal, in a sign of just how far religious restrictions have eased in Vietnam.
Crowds filled the streets leading to the city's neo-gothic cathedral, many of them sitting on the bare ground to listen to the ceremony relayed by loudspeaker. Others perched on balconies and rooftops of surrounding houses.
The very fact that such a major ordination went ahead shows how far Vietnam's Communist leadership has gone in easing restrictions on religious activity.
Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, led the outdoor ceremony to ordain the deacons from eight northern Vietnam diocese.
"I salute my hosts... It is of high significance that this ordination ceremony here is taking place in the beginning of the Christmas season," the cardinal said.
His remarks were greeted by enthusiastic cheers from the crowds.
After their ordination by the cardinal, the priests mingled among the crowds to share eucharistic bread.
The ceremony was held in front of the imposing but weather-beaten St Joseph's Cathedral in central Hanoi. The building stands amid a warren of art galleries, tourist boutiques and elegant cafes.
"It's a big, unprecedented event," priest Nguyen Xuan Thuy said earlier.
The ceremony highlighted the growing strength of Catholicism in northern Vietnam, more than 50 years after most of the faithful fled the communist advance on Hanoi and the division of the country in two.
After the country was reunified in 1975 following the end of the Vietnam War, all religions were put under a straitjacket.
It was only in the early 1990s that a gradual relaxation began, some time after the adoption in 1986 of reforms known as "Doi Moi."
Many religious establishments, including seminaries, began to reopen. It became easier to attract more people to services, the number of people training to be priests swelled and the general climate for Catholics improved.
The mass was conducted in Latin and translated into Vietnamese. Hundreds of priests, including the entire Catholic leadership of Vietnam, lined the sides of a large podium.
An 80-year-old Catholic, Nguyen Van Tong, from Ha Nam province, 60 kilometres (40 miles) south of Hanoi expressed great joy at having been in Hanoi Tuesday.
"I feel very happy to have been at this ceremony and to have seen for the first time a cardinal visiting Vietnam," Tong said.
Although numerous foreign diplomats were present, no government representative officially attended the ordination. Hanoi and the Holy See have yet to forge diplomatic ties.
Cardinal Sepe, whose trip has been covered by state media, met Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan Monday.
Foreign ministry spokesman Le Dung said last week that the cardinal's visit, "will contribute to further promoting mutual understanding between the Vatican and Vietnam."
There are a little under six million Catholics in Vietnam, or about seven percent of the population of 82 million. It is the second-largest recorded Catholic community in Asia after the Philippines. There are no official figures on the number of Catholics in China.
During his nine-day trip, Cardinal Sepe will also open the new diocese of Ba Ria in southern Vietnam, created to cater to the large number of worshippers.
Agence France Presse - November 29, 2005.
Vatican ordains Vietnam priests
Thousands of Vietnamese Roman Catholics have been celebrating the first ordination of priests in the country by a cardinal from the Vatican.
Fifty-seven priests were ordained in a ceremony outside Hanoi Cathedral.
Vietnam's Communist rulers insist on strict controls over how Catholics in the country worship.
But correspondents say ties are gradually improving between the government and the Roman Catholic church.
Crowds filled the streets of the Vietnamese capital, some perching on balconies or rooftops to watch the outdoor ceremony.
"I salute my hosts... It is of high significance that this ordination ceremony here is taking place in the beginning of the Christmas season," Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, head of the Vatican's missionary arm, told the cheering crowd.
'Mutual understanding'
"Those who have not heard about Jesus should listen to these priests," he said. "Of the 80 million Vietnamese, only 6 million are Catholics."
No Vietnamese government officials attended the ordination, but Cardinal Sepe met Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan on Monday, and his trip has been reported by state media.
Foreign ministry spokesman Le Dung said last week that the cardinal's visit "will contribute to further promoting mutual understanding between the Vatican and Vietnam".
Vietnam has the second highest recorded population of Catholics in Asia, after the Philippines.
The religion's hold in Vietnam dates back to French colonial times.
A BBC correspondent in Bangkok says the apparent improvement in relations between the Vatican and the Vietnamese government contrasts with the experience of Buddhist dissidents, many of whom are imprisoned after campaigning for improved human rights. The government also remains extremely suspicious of many Protestant churches, suspected of having links to the United States.
But the government says it respects religious freedom and points to the many Vietnamese who now attend churches on Sunday.
BBC News - November 29, 2005.
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