On February 15, the Committee for Solidarity of Vietnamese Catholics (CSVC) held the 4th annual meeting in the 2013 – 2018 tenure to review its performance in 2016 and outline its activities for the year 2017.
Attending the meeting were Priest Vice Chairman cum Secretary General of the CSVC Trần Xuân Mạnh and representatives of the CSVC from provinces and cities throughout the country.
Distinguished guests at the event included Vice President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Lê Bá Trình and Vice Chairman of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs Dương Ngọc Tấn.
As reported at the meeting, in 2016, the CSVC in cities and provinces actively encouraged Catholics to participate in social development models and movements in localities, such as the developing of the model “cultural families and residential areas, civilized religious establishments” in Tra Vinh province and the movement for Catholic communities to maintain public order in Ben Tre province.
In addition, Catholic compatriots also engaged in many social and charitable activities such as bringing reliefs to flood victims in central Vietnam and presenting gifts to the poor, people with disabilities and social sponsoring organizations.
The CSVC’s working program approved at the meeting for 2017 will focus on key tasks, including the organization of the 7th Catholic Congress (2018–2023), implementation of pastoral guidance “Living the Gospel within the nation, bringing happiness to the people” by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Vietnam and collaboration with the VFF and concerning ministries, committees and agencies to expand good models in education, health-care and social charity amongst Catholic communities.
Vice Chairman Dương Ngọc Tấn attends CSVC’s meeting.
TP
