Participating in the training course included 9 lecturers (7 lecturers under Catholic Institute of Paris, Priest Joseph Phan Tấn Thanh under Dominican and Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Đinh Đức Đạo – Director of Xuan Loc Seminary); 42 priests from 7 Seminaries: Ha Noi, Vinh-Thanh, Hue, Nha Trang, Ho Chi Minh city, Xuan Loc, Can Tho; 20 priests from religious orders and congregations: Don Bosco, Dominican, Francis…; 29 priests in charge of training from 24 dioceses.

At the opening ceremony, on behalf of Bishop Anthony Vũ Huy Chương, Bishop of Da Lat diocese, Priest Paul Lê Đức Huân – General Representative of Da Lat diocese delivered a speech to welcome Bishops, Priests, clergies and guests attending the training course. He expressed that the Vietnam Catholic Church is always interested in the training for future priests. Through this training, the Church will continue to follow the cause of Christ. However, it needs to have a new method because of profound and quick changes in culture and society in our era where the Church has responsibility to proclaim and witness the Gospel. So the training course has chosen the theme “secularization and training of priests in Vietnam"

In the training course, 9 lecturers will present 9 issues such as: “secularization in Vietnam” by priest Joseph Phan Tấn Thành, “the concept of secularization and related issues” by priest Gilles Berceville, “the world according to the Founders: Irénée, Ignace d'Antioche, Maxime le Confesseur ” by priest Claude Tassin; “take care of life in the context of secularization, the legitimate balance between personal ethics and collective responsibility” by priest Vincent Leclercq; “the training of priests in the course of expanding the Gospel reform” by priest Th-M. Courau; “Thoughts of Vietnamese trainer and the secularization” by auxiliary bishop Đinh Đức Đạo…

MG