Pope to Vietnamese young people: your country still needs missionaries

Video message from Francis on the occasion of Youth Day organized in the northern dioceses of Vietnam. "Every path given by our Lord is always a missionary momentum". "I would like to entrust to the Lord, Merciful Father, the thirty-nine Vietnamese migrants who died in England last month."

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - In Vietnam "there is still a majority that has the right to hear and is waiting to hear the Gospel proclamation". The missionary mandate is the heart of the video message that Pope Francis sent to Vietnamese youth on the occasion of Youth Day organized in the northern dioceses of Vietnam and which takes place on November 19 and 20 at the Phú Nhai minor basilica in Bùi Chu, on the theme "Go back home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you (Mk 5.19)".

In the message, Francis notes that in the Vietnamese culture, as in other Asian cultures, the word "home envelops everything that is dearest to the heart of a human person, it includes not only family, kinship, but also homeland. Wherever you go, always carry your 'home' with you. From this "home" comes your culture, which expresses family traditions, promotes love for neighbors, nurtures the virtue of honoring parents, and preserves the extraordinary respect for the elderly. ‘Go to your home’ therefore means a path that returns you to your origins and deepens your traditional and cultural heritage. They are your treasures. Never forget them!"

"As baptized, then, you are heirs to another, larger "home" that is, the Church. The Church is a home, your home. You have been fortunate to be born from the womb of a heroic Church, rich in luminous witnesses. I think of the holy Vietnamese martyrs. I think of your grandparents and parents who suffered for the war, losing almost everything except their faith, which they passed on to you as the most precious inheritance. Here, in this house of the Church you can always return to draw strength and inspiration for your faith; here you can always form your conscience in dignity; here each of you can find the path of life according to God’s call ”.

"We must not forget that yours is a Church born of generous and enthusiastic missionaries. In a report sent to Rome, the Jesuit missionary Alexandre de Rhodes told this definition that ran among the Vietnamese: "Catholics are those who love each other. It is the religion of Love." May these models of your early Christians guide you; and that gratitude to them is always a source of missionary enthusiasm for you. Therefore, it is important not to think about your theme "Go to your home" only as an invitation to return. Don't think of 'home' as something closed and limited. Indeed, every journey given by our Lord is always a missionary momentum to "announce what the Lord has done to you and the mercy he has had for you" (Mk 5.19). Don't forget that you are still a minority among your people. There is still a majority that has the right and is waiting to hear the announcement of the Gospel. The mandate of Christ is therefore still urgent for you today. Now it is your task to build a young and joyful Church-house, full of life and fraternity. May through your testimony the saving messages of God reach the hearts of your neighbors and compatriots. Always as witness, never proselytism! "How do we carry out this task?" - you can ask me. I propose these three characteristics for your testimony at this time: honesty, responsibility and optimism. All three accompanied by discernment. In a world society driven by materialism it is difficult to be faithful to one's own identity and to one's own religious faith without the capacity for discernment, and this happens in all cities and in all countries of the world ".

"It may be that honesty often causes disadvantages. It may be that the sense of responsibility brings inconvenience and requires sacrifices. It may be that optimism appears strange before the corrupt realities of this world society. But these very values ​​are what your society, and even your Church, need from you. "In their midst you shine like stars in the world" (Phil 2:15) ".

"Do not be afraid to let your beautiful Catholic identity shine. This will also make you more patriotic, more Vietnamese: a great love for your country, a great loyalty as a patriot. I urge you to respond creatively and to value the programs of your Bishops' Conference for these three years, whose priority is youth ministry. May the example of the Servant of God Cardinal Van Thuan, great witness of hope, support you ".

"Dear friends, I hope that this day will be a pilgrimage to your cultural and religious roots, an experience of faith strengthened, and especially a renewed missionary sense. Love your home! Your family home and your home which is home. Love the Vietnamese people, love your country! Be true Vietnamese, with love for the Fatherland. And finally I would like, together with all of you, to entrust to the Lord, the merciful Father, the thirty-nine Vietnamese migrants who died in England last month. It was painful, we all pray for them. God bless you. Have a nice day and don't forget to pray for me. Cha Chào Chúng Con [I greet you] ”.