Seminaries are overflowing in Socialist Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh City (AsiaNews) Seminaries are overflowing but inadequate in Socialist Vietnam according to Card Pham Minh Man. For the prelate, new facilities must be opened and better trained teachers are needed.
"In the archdiocese of Saigon there are many eager seminarians and devoted teachers," the cardinal said. "But there are problems as well. First of all, with 230 seminarians, crowding is one." This means a shortage of living and teaching space. "Secondly, there are not enough well-trained teachers."
"One of our priorities," he noted, "is to reorganise the Saigon Seminary in cooperation in cooperation with the archdiocese and parishes". The institution receives applicants from six southern dioceses.
In 2005 the government allowed all applicants accepted by the diocese to be admitted. In the past it usually authorised only 10 to 15 candidates each time.
Early this year, the government gave the green light to opening a branch in the old premises of the theological school in the city of Long Khanh in the diocese of Xuan Loc, but it will take lots of time and money before the building can be of any use.
"Things are even worse in the archdiocese of Hanoi, where space to teach is woefully inadequate. Time is needed to sort out the problem," the prelate said.
In Hanoi, St Joseph's Great Seminary supplies priests to eight northern dioceses. Currently, it has 235 students but not enough space for all of them to live, study and engage in extracurricular activities. The 43 new seminarians must use the Salesian building in Co Nhue, 18 km away.
Since 2005 the government has allowed the seminary to admit every year all new applicants. As part of their pastoral work, they served in four northern leper colonies last year.
A shortage in trained teachers forces the best to provide their services in the country's various seminaries.
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09/03/2006
