In a welcoming reception hosted by Bishop of Bui Chu Thomas Vũ Đình Hiệu, Chairman Vũ Chiến Thắng conveyed Easter wishes of peace and happiness to the bishop and all Catholics in the diocese. He also highlighted the role of the Catholic diocese’s dignitaries in guiding religious practices and encouraging social engagements by parishioners in the locality.

On the occasion, the government religious committee official toured the existing Cathedral of Bui Chu and had exchanges with the diocese bishop on the planned reconstruction of the cathedral.

The government religious committee chairman tours around the Bui Chu cathedral

According to the diocese bishop, the Bui Chu Cathedral currently located in Xuan Ngoc Commune, Xuan Truong District was built in 1885 and has been upgraded several times. Currently the church has been degraded and many parts, such as the door and the dome, are cracked, and one of its two towers is leaning. The church has rotten and many parts of it could fall down anytime. Therefore the diocese has applied for the reconstruction of its cathedral in order to create a safe place for religious events and services frequently held by the diocese, and the Nam Dinh provincial authorities has approved the reconstruction plan. As planned, the scale and architecture of the new church could be kept the same as the old one.

Speaking with the government religious committee official, the diocese bishop expressed hope that competent authorities would support and create favorable conditions for the diocese to reconstruct the diocese cathedral in order to create a safe place for holding religious events and masses.    

During the exchanges, Chairman of the government religious committee Vũ Chiến Thắng suggested Bui Chu diocese temporarily postpones the plan for dismantling the existing cathedral, allowing more time to consider all opinions of experts and competent authorities and the general public, so that the cathedral’s historical and cultural values may be better preserved.

Bui Chu diocese would wait for the final conclusion of the competent agencies before implementing the cathedral reconstruction plan, stated Bishop Thomas Vũ Đình Hiệu.

As a matter of fact, the Bui Chu Cathedral has degraded many parts, including its cracked door and dome and a leaning tower, and is currently dangerous for churchgoers. From the model of the church reconstruction displayed in Bui Chu diocese, the scale and architecture of the new church look similar to as the old one.

Images of some degraded parts of Bui Chu cathedral:

  PTT