Delegation meets with Ambassador Hà Hoàng Hải at Vietnamese Embassy in Poland

Joining delegation included Chairman of the GCRA Vũ Hoài Bắc.

During the visit, the delegation visited the Vietnamese Embassy in Poland, the Vietnamese Community, the Vietnamese Buddhist Association in Poland and Thien Phuc pagoda, the Vietnam Buddhist Centre and Nhan Hoa pagoda in the country. The delegation also met with Priest Ks. Jarosław Mrówczyński, Deputy General Secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Poland and the Vietnamese Catholic community in the country.

While welcoming the guests, at the Vietnamese Embassy in Poland, Ambassador Hà Hoàng Hải informed about the Vietnamese community with about 30,000 people living, working and studying in the country. According to the Ambassador The Vietnamese community in Poland has a tradition of solidarity, mutual support and looking towards the homeland, and the Vietnamese community in Poland has donated nearly 2 billion VND to people affected by storm No. 3 in the northern provinces. Regarding belief and religion, Vietnamese people in Poland follow three religions of Buddhism, Catholicism and Protestantism, he added.

Deputy Minister Vũ Chiến Thắng (third from right) presents gift to the Vietnamese Community in Poland

At the meeting with the Vietnamese community in Poland, the delegation has exchanges with Chairman of the Vietnamese Association in Poland Trần Anh Tuấn. He shared that the Vietnamese community in Poland currently has about 30,000 people and since its establishment in 1989 and being listed in the list of Associations by the Warsaw Regional Court in 1999, the Vietnamese Association in Poland has become a social organization, attracting the participation a large number of Vietnamese people in the country.

Delegation visits Thien Phuc pagoda

The delegation also met with Senior Venerable Thích Minh Trí, Abbot of Thien Phuc pagoda and Chairman of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in Poland Nguyễn Công Phuong. Thien Phuc Pagoda has been recognized by the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in 2012. It started building its main worshipping temple on an area of ​​15,000m2 in the capital of Warsaw, Poland on September 29.

Delegation visit Nhan Hoa pagoda

At Nhan Hoa pagoda, the delegation has exhanges with Venerable Thích Viên Nghiêm, Deputy Abbot of Nhan Hoa Pagoda, Chairman of the Vietnam Buddhist Centre in Poland Bùi Văn Dư and representatives of other associations representing Viertnamese people in the country. As reported, Nhan Hoa pagoda has been recognized by the Polish Court as a pagoda of the Vietnamese community in Poland. In 2013, Nhan Hoa Pagoda started the construction of its main temple on an area of ​​8,000m2. The pagoda has been considered as the spiritual and cultural center of the Vietnamese community in Poland. In 2022, when the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out, Nhan Hoa Pagoda welcomed about two thousand Vietnamese people from Ukraine.

Deputy Minister Vũ Chiến Thắng present white book on religion and religious policies in Vietnam to Priest Ks. Jarosław Mrówczyński, Deputy General Secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Poland

At the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Poland, the delegation met with Priest Ks. Jarosław Mrówczyński, Deputy General Secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Poland.

Chairman of the GCRA Vũ Hoài Bắc and Priest Ks. Jarosław Mrówczyński

During the meeting with to Priest Ks. Jarosław Mrówczyński, Deputy General Secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Poland, the priest informed about the Catholic Church in Poland currently with 36 million followers, 44 dioceses, 10,000 parishes, 154 bishops, 33,600 priests, 19,000 nuns. The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Poland is the central body of the Catholic Church with 03 cardinals, 24 archbishops and 118 bishops, with Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda of the Pallottine Order, Archbishop of Gdansk Archdiocese serving as President of the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of Poland. Poland is one of the European countries with the largest number of priestly vocations, with 25% of new priests in Europe who are Polish in 2023.

Delegation visit Vietnamese Catholic community in Poland

Visiting the Vietnamese Catholic community in Poland, the delegation met with Priest Nguyễn Huy Thêm. As reported, the Vietnamese Catholic community in Poland has two parishes, six congregations, and three priests recognized by the Warsaw diocese to operate in Poland.

Deputy Minister Vũ Chiến Thắng present Religious Magazine Work of the GCRA on Pope Francis’s message to Catholic Church in Vietnam to the Vietnamese Catholic community in Poland

During the working visit, Deputy Minister Vũ Chiến Thắng shared about current religious life and harmony in Vietnam and stating that religious organizations, dignitaries, and lay followers in Vietnam have proactively engaged in cultural and social activities, contributing to the socio-economic development in the country.

The Vietnamese Party and State have pursued consistent policies for ensuring religious freedom and equality, promoting cultural and ethical values of all religions and making use of resources created by religious dignitaries and lay followers to develop the country, he added.

PH