A report presented to the bishops gathered for their first annual assembly says that the project has been made possible by the government's restitution of the land already belonging to the shrine. A national commission for Christian education has been created.

Ho Chi Minh City (AsiaNews/EDA) - The creation of a national commission for Christian education and the concrete possibility of turning the shrine of La Vang into a center for the pilgrimages of the Vietnamese Church are the latest developments at the meeting of the country's bishops' conference, held from April 13-18 in Bai Dau - Vung Tau Town, in the diocese of Ba Ria.

In addition to the bishops, the 44 participants also include a few priests who work in the 15 committees of the bishops' conference. They focused their attention on the preparation of the ad limina visit to Rome next year next year, which will also be a pilgrimage on the occasion of the 350th anniversary of the institution of the first two apostolic vicariates in Vietnam, and of the 50th anniversary of the creation of the country's Catholic hierarchy.

The possibility of turning the Marian shrine of La Vang (in the photo) into a national pilgrimage center was illustrated in the presentation by Etienne Nguyên Nhu Thê, archbishop of Hue. He reported that negotiations with the government have resulted in the restitution of the land belonging to the Marian shrine, totaling about 34 hectares. The authorities have also accepted the idea of creating a pilgrimage center for the Catholic Church of Vietnam on the land. The project, as explained by the bishop, foresees the convocation of international conferences, seminars, discussions, and formation encounters on the spot, which for years has attracted huge numbers of faithful. The center could also be used as a place of study and teaching.

Archbishop Nguyên Nhu Thê has also launched a competition for the construction of the future conference center. All of the projects will be made public so that the people of God, in addition to a specialized jury, will be able to review them, offer their opinions, and select the one that seems the most suitable.

The issue of Christian education, which was at the center of the bishops' action over the past two years, was again seen to be central, so much so that the creation of a special commission was decided, to be headed by Pierre Kham, the new auxiliary bishop of Ho Chi Minh City. The issue will certainly be among the main ones that the bishops will discuss in their meetings at the Vatican.

The other issues taken into examination were the importance of the modern means of communication for the Church, in its efforts to proclaim the good news, and the future canonization of Msgr. Pallu and Msgr. Lambert de la Motte, apostolic vicars sent to Asia in the 17th century, and founders of the French Society for Foreign Missions (MEP).

• vietnam
• bishops
• conference
• marian
• shrine
• government
• land
• restitution
• pilgrimage
• center