Hanoi currently has seven recognized religions and three religious organizations granted the registration for religious affairs and activities, with over 800 thousand followers and more than 2,400 religious worshipping places.
In the new context of Covid-19 pandemic, religious worshipping places in the city have suspended all religious gatherings, organized online meetings, and made many practical contributions for the Covid-19 prevention work.
Responding a request from the Committee for Religious Affairs in Hanoi issued on May 5, Archbishop of Hanoi Archdiocese Joseph Vũ Văn Thiên has signed a notification asking parishioners in the archdiocese to practice religion online.
Pastor Phạm Bá Hạnh, Head of the Evangelical Church Chapter in Hanoi under the Evangelical Church of Vietnam (North) informed that Evangelicals in the city have attended online masses through Zoom application.
According to Senior Venerable Vice President cum General Secretary of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha’s Central Executive Council Thích Đức Thiện, for celebrating the 2565th Buddha’s Birthday, the Central VBS in collaboration with the Butta Social Network have launched an online Buddha Bathing and merit making week for meeting Buddhists’ spiritual needs as well as avoiding large gatherings for preventing the spread of Covid-19 pandemic.
As reported, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi municipal People’s Committee Lê Hồng Sơn on May 28 signed a dispatch requesting the suspension of religious gatherings in the city, starting from 0:00 am on May 29, in an effort to fight COVID-19 pandemic. The municipal request has been strictly observed by religious organizations and worshipping places in the city.
In addition of observing 5K recommendations by Health Ministry, religious organizations in the city have also launched programs for raising supports for the Covid-19 prevention work. As reported, An Lac Buddhist club has sent 200 mineral water boxes to people in two epidemic zones in Bac Giang and Bac Ninh provinces. Through the online Buddha Bathing and merit making week, the Central VBS has raised a fund of 200 million VND sent to the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF)’s Central Committee for contributing to the pandemic prevention work, and the VBS’s executive committee in Hanoi has contributed necessities to the K hospital in Thanh Tri district’s Tan Trieu commune of the city.
Joining efforts in preventing the pandemic, Priest President of the Committee for Solidarity of Vietnamese Catholics Joseph Trần Xuân Mạnh has signed a letter calling on members of the Vietnam Catholic Solidarity committee to make practice contribution for the Covid-19 prevention work.
So far, the Evangelical church of Vietnam (North)’s executive committee has donated 50 million VND for the Covid-19 prevention work, and the Vietnam Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has supported 3,000 Covid-19 testing kits valued at 735 million VND through the municipal VFF for sending to the Hanoi Center for Disease Control and the city Oncology Hospital.
