The Minister accompanied by Chairman of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs Vũ Hoài Bắc was welcomed by Archbishop Joseph Nguyễn Năng, President of the CBCV, Archbishop of Ho Chi Minh Archdiocese; Archbishop Joseph Vũ Văn Thiên of Hanoi Archdiocese, Vice President of the CBCV and 29 bishops of 27 dioceses.

Overview of the reception

While wishing successes to the congress of the CBCV, Minister Đào Ngọc Dung expressed hope that bishops of the CBCV would continue encouraging lay parishioners to closely accompany the nation, and make practical contributions for the development of the country.

He also highlighted that the Party and the State are carrying out a major administrative reform to streamline the state apparatus and restructure administrative boundaries, reducing the number of provinces and cities from 63 to 34. While this process has posed certain initial challenges, the Government remains committed to improving the living standards of all citizens, especially in remote and mountainous areas as well as religious communities.

The Minister highly appreciated the practical contributions of the Vietnam Catholic Church in various areas of social life, especially in mobilizing resources to support people affected by natural disasters and floods.

For his part, Archbishop Joseph Nguyễn Năng took the chance to thank congratulations of the MOERA delegations and local authorities for their visit. He expressed his joy the country’s recent achievements such as exempting tuition fee for pupils, free medical check-ups for people, etc.

The Archbishop affirmed that the Catholic Church would continue closely work with the nation in promoting moral values, preserving cultural traditions, and contributing to sustainable development.

The 16^th Congress of the CBCV took place from October 6 to 10 in Da Lat diocese.

Hương Huyền