Vietnamese bishops: missionary associations for evangelization in every diocese

This is the project that animated the annual meeting of the Vietnamese Bishops' Conference. Msgr. Alphongso Nguyễn Hữu Long wants to rebuild a work started in 1971 and interrupted due to the war. Among the examples of youth mission is the Italian Carlo Acutis, the first blessed of the digital age.

Ho Chi Minh City (AsiaNews) - Mission is the task of all baptized, be they priests, religious or lay people and to strengthen this task the bishops have decided to create "missionary associations" within each diocese. This is the project that animated the annual meeting of the Vietnamese Bishops' Conference, which was held from 12 to 16 October last in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) on the eve of World Mission Sunday. The session was devoted to the theme of evangelization, of the proclamation of the word of God on social networks and in person.

Msgr. Alphongso Nguyữn Hữu Long stresses that "during this meeting of the Bishops' Conference, in the role of president of the Committee for Evangelization, I presented my reports and proposed the creation of missionary associations in each diocese of Vietnam".

Ordained bishop on 22 December 2018 by Pope Francis, he was assigned on 1 February last year to the diocese of Vinh and is president of the Committee for Evangelization within the Conference of Bishops for the period 2019-2022.

Before the war, explains Msgr. Hữu Long, in the country there were several missionary associations, some of which dedicated to children. However, “after 1975 these associations had to stop their activity”.

Today, he continues in response to the call of the Holy See "we hope that our Church will soon benefit from missionary societies in each diocese" and for this reason a work will be proposed focused on evangelization from children to adult laity, from priests to religious.

Among the points at the center of the discussion is the relaunch of the Vietnamese missionary association, created by the bishops in 1971 and lasted only four years. In 1999 the Hanoi government allowed the association's activities to resume, entrusted to the pastoral work of Msgr. Peter Trần Đình Tù, bishop emeritus of Phú Cường now retired due to the age limit. In these days the bishops have decided to entrust Msgr. Alphongso Nguyễn Hữu Long the task of relaunching this important institution with a view to evangelizing the country, especially young people.

Among the examples proposed by the bishop is that of the young Italian Carlo Acutis, aged only 15, remembered as "the first blessed of the digital age" and of a correct use of digital technology and modern means of communication. All of the young people whom I met recently, says the prelate, had a smartphone, some even two, and with an internet connection. This is why "we must learn from the virtues of Blessed Carlo Acutis" on how to use social media:

"This is the mission - concludes the prelate - inherent in the announcement of the Good News. This mission will bring good results both with the people you come into contact with and in the places where you are present ”.