The VBS executive council’s dispatch No.109 dated May 12 encouraged Buddhist dignitaries, monks and nuns to creatively apply various forms of celebrations of the Buddha's Birthday to both ensure safety in the context of the Covid-19 epidemic and meet spiritual needs of lay Buddhists and people, as well as strengthen online Buddha's Birthday celebrations.

The VBS also called on Buddhist worshipping places to organize prayers for peace and eradication of diseases, and continue practically contributing to the Covid-19 epidemic prevention in localities.

Displaying Buddha pictures during Buddha’s Birthday festival 2020 at Quan Su pagoda

Also on May 12 (the first of the fourth lunar month), Most Venerable Thích Phổ Tuệ, Supreme Patriarch of the VBS sent Message on the 2565^th Buddha’s Birthday to the VBS’s monks, nuns and lay Buddhists.

In the message, while showing his happiness on the unity of monks and nuns, and VBS’s achievements recorded over the past time, the leader of the VBS called on people to work together and with state authorities for ensuring safety against the pandemic, social stability and development in the country.

He also expressed hope that the VBS’s central executive council and executive committees in provinces and cities would organize practical activities for celebrating the 40^th anniversary of the VBS’s founding and proactively participate to the upcoming election of deputies for the 15^th National Assembly and People’s Council at all levels for the 2021-2026 tenure.