VIETNAM: Priest, "My mission is at the service of poor and atheists"

VIETNAM 
Vietnamese priest: my mission at the service of poor and atheists 
by J.B. Vu

Fr. Vincent Peter Pham Van Khoi, 61, has proclaimed the Gospel in areas of the country where religion was banned. He united manual labour in the fields to social ministry, "to integrate the poorest communities." In a parish he has celebrated over 800 baptisms. And yesterday's children "are willing to help in missionary work". 

Vinh Long (AsiaNews) - Proclaiming the Gospel in the poorest areas of Vietnam, to promote social ministry in areas where religion was banned, along with the manual labour in the fields to collect food needed to feed themselves in times of greatest difficulty. This is the missionary life of Father Vincent Peter Pham Van Khoi, 61, currently vicar of the parish of Cau Ngang in the province of Tra Vinh, situated in the Mekong Delta region. He tells AsiaNews: "I was able to integrate the poorest communities through missionary work and by working with local representatives of the Communist Party."
1975 is a crucial date for the country, when it was united again after years of war under the umbrella of the Northern Vietnam Communist government. At the time Fr. Vincent was only 24 years of age and May 28 was sent to the parish of Long Hoa, to serve 250 faithful who did not even have a church. His missionary work among Catholics and non Catholics allowed him over the years to build a place of worship and to increase the Christian community. On October 10, 2007 he was transferred to the parish of Cau Ngang, also in the province of Tra Vinh to serve 1,700 Christians among a population of over 11 thousand people. The town is situated near the border with Cambodia, in a purely rural and agricultural area, where he spent five years in contact with the poor farmers and labourers.
Fr. Vincent promoted his pastoral activities, alongside manual labour in the fields, sharing the daily fatigue of the people and earning enough food to survive. A choice that allowed him to live happily in close contact with people. "It was a great opportunity - he tells AsiaNews - because through the pastoral care and work, I integrated within the community, promoting missionary work and worked with local representatives of the Communist Party."
The priest has worked in areas of Vietnam where the ideals of the revolution was widespread, in communities where religion was banned. In 1975 there were only 250 faithful, continues Fr Vincent, while in 2007 "I celebrated over 800 baptisms "of a total of 11 thousand people who lived in the parish of Long Hoa, located" near the sea, without even drinking water available. "
Between 1975 and 1987, during the period of state subsidies, the Vietnamese priest taught at least pre-school and elementary 100 children. Some of them came from Catholic families, but the majority were Buddhist or atheist, close to Communist Party members. Today, many of them are adults, some have become party officials at the local level, while others have achieved success in business. And they have returned to thank the parish priest and the church: "They want to help in missionary work," said Father Vincent Peter Pham Văn Khôi.

"The Work of the Holy Spirit" - Saint Basil the Great, bishop

From the treatise On the Holy Spirit by Saint Basil the Great, bishop (330 – January 1, 379 AD) 

The Work of the Holy Spirit

The titles given to the Holy Spirit must surely stir the soul of anyone who hears them, and make him realize that they speak of nothing less than the supreme Being. Is he not called the Spirit of God, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, the steadfast Spirit, the guiding Spirit? But his principal and most personal title is the Holy Spirit.

To the Spirit all creatures turn in their need for sanctification; all living things seek him according to their ability. His breath empowers each to achieve its own natural end.

The Spirit is the source of holiness, a spiritual light, and he offers his own light to every mind to help it in its search for truth. By nature the Spirit is beyond the reach of our mind, but we can know him by his goodness. The power of the Spirit fills the whole universe, but he gives himself only to those who are worthy, acting in each according to the measure of his faith.

Simple in himself, the Spirit is manifold in his mighty works. The whole of his being is present to each individual; the whole of his being is present everywhere. Though shared in by many, he remains unchanged; his self giving is no loss to himself. Like the sunshine, which permeates all the atmosphere, spreading over land and sea, and yet is enjoyed by each person as though it were for him alone, so the Spirit pours forth his grace in full measure, sufficient for all, and yet is present as though exclusively to everyone who can receive him. To all creatures that share in him he gives a delight limited only by their own nature, not by his ability to give.

The Spirit raises our hearts to heaven, guides the steps of the weak, and brings to perfection those who are making progress. He enlightens those who have been cleansed from every stain of sin and makes them spiritual by communion with himself.

As clear, transparent substances become very bright when sunlight falls on them and shine with a new radiance, so also souls in whom the Spirit dwells, and who are enlightened by the Spirit, become spiritual themselves and a source of grace for others.

From the Spirit comes foreknowledge of the future, understanding of the mysteries of faith, insight into the hidden meaning of Scripture, and other special gifts. Through the Spirit we become citizens of heaven, we enter into eternal happiness, and abide in God. Through the Spirit we acquire a likeness to God; indeed, we attain what is beyond our most sublime aspirations—we become God.

From the dogmatic constitution on the Church of the Second Vatican Council
The mission of the Holy Spirit in the Church

When the Son completed the work with which the Father had entrusted him on earth, the Holy Spirit was sent on the day of Pentecost to sanctify the Church unceasingly, and thus enable believers to have access to the Father through Christ in the one Spirit. He is the Spirit of life, the fountain of water welling up to give eternal life. Through him the Father gives life to men, dead because of sin, until he raises up their mortal bodies in Christ.

The Spirit dwells in the Church and in the hearts of the faithful as in a temple. He prays in them and bears witness in them to their adoption as sons. He leads the Church into all truth and gives it unity in communion and in service. He endows it with different hierarchical and charismatic gifts, directs it by their means, and enriches it with his fruits.

By the power of the Gospel he enables the Church to grow young, perpetually renews it, and leads it to complete union with its Bridegroom. For the Spirit and the Bride say to the Lord Jesus: "Come!"

In this way the Church reveals itself as a people whose unity has its source in the unity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The whole company of the faithful, who have an anointing by the Holy Spirit, cannot err in faith. They manifest this distinctive characteristic of theirs in the supernatural instinct of faith (sensus fidei) of the whole people when, from the bishops to the most ordinary lay person among the faithful, they display a universal agreement on matters of faith and morals.

This instinct of faith is awakened and kept in being by the Spirit of truth. Through it the people of God hold indefectibly to the faith once delivered to the saints, penetrate it more deeply by means of right judgment, and apply it more perfectly in their lives. They do all this under the guidance of the sacred teaching office: by faithful obedience to it they receive, not the word of men but in truth the word of God.

Moreover, the Holy Spirit not only sanctifies and guides God's people by the sacraments and the ministries, and enriches it with virtues, he also distributes special graces among the faithful of every state of life,assigning his gifts to each as he chooses. By means of these special gifts he equips them and makes them eager for various activities and responsibilities that benefit the Church in its renewal or its increase, in accordance with the text: To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for a good purpose.

These charisms, the simpler and more widespread as well as the most outstanding, should be accepted with a sense of gratitude and consolation, since in a very special way they answer and serve the needs of the Church.

Mother Teresa: the power of love

08/08/2009 12:01
INDIA
Mother Teresa: the power of love almost 100 years after her birth
by Nirmala Carvalho

Adoptions to defeat abortion; commitment to the dying; attention to spiritual poverty: the work of Mother Teresa is still very much alive and attracting many vocations and volunteers.

  Mumbai (AsiaNews) - Mother Teresa of Calcutta was born August 27 1910. In a few weeks the year marking 100 years since her birth begins. AsiaNews explores the signs of the vitality of her charisma, in a conversation with Sr. Gilbert M, superior of the Missionaries of Charity (MC) in the Maharashtra-Goa region.
Sr M Gilbert entered the MC in 1965. She lived in Latin America for many years and before becoming regional superior, she worked for 8 years in Calcutta, in Formation House for sisters.
Almost 100 years after the birth of Mother Teresa, I am a witness to the great respect for the life she inspired. Every day, many married couples come to our homes with the desire to adopt children. These couples wait patiently until the entire process and the documents are completed. These people follow her teaching: Fight abortion by adoption. Unfortunately, we know that there is a culture of death, but here, in our case I can not see a culture of death, but rather a great respect for life.
How important is the testimony of Mother Teresa in the world today?
Our founder, Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, spoke of love with love. Mother has always offered love and hope to the most disadvantaged. Her life was a combination of simplicity, sacrifice and strength in service to others. Serving the poorest of the poor was the motto of Mother Teresa, the way in which to "quench the thirst of Jesus."
How alive is her charism among you?
Mother Teresa devoted her life to giving hope to the despairing, covering them with love. As we approach the centenary of her birth, we too, the Missionaries of Charity dedicate ourselves to serving the poorest of the poor to satisfy the thirst of Jesus. We are not social workers. Today the poor are both those who lack material resources, and those who are poor in spirit. Our mission is to serve both with love. And Mother Teresa was very clear: "It is not the greatness of our actions that is important, but how much love you put into what you do." In our house Asha Dan (Gift of Hope ") in Byculla (central Mumbai), those who are dying each day are collected from the streets and brought to us. So every the poorest of the poor are given a chance to experience dignity through love. Many have spent many years on the street, others - men and women - are left on the road by their relatives, because they are dying of some terminal illness ... With joy and a smile, we serve them. And this thanks to Mother Teresa's teaching. They have suffered a lot, physically and spiritually, of neglect and abysmal poverty, but they die here, immersed in love.
Have you ever experienced persecution or hostility in your mission?
Wherever I was, I always received a friendly reception, but I know that unfortunately, in some places, our mission is not understood and treated with hostility. However, our sisters - or rather, Mother Teresa - are recognizable by our simple sari with blue stripes, but especially because we care for the old, the sick, the abandoned, the dying, the unloved.
Are there new vocations? Does Mother Teresa still inspire people?
The Missionaries of Charity have vocations. I was in the formation house for the last 8 years and by the grace of God, many girls say yes to the call of God. Mother Teresa's charisma of service and sacrifice leads many girls to give their lives in sacrifice for others.
In addition to vocations, people of all social strata come to the Mother House to pray at her tomb. In addition, hundreds of enthusiastic volunteers, drawn from what they have read or seen or heard of Mother Teresa and her work come from all over the world to lend their service in the various houses of the sisters. Serving with all their heart they find a meaning to life as well as joy and peace in their lives and return to their reality rendered humble by the power of love.
_____________________________________________________________________________


Interested in volunteering with the Missionaries of Charity overseas or near home?  Here's a link:

http://www.motherteresa.org/07_family/Volunteering/v_cal.html#3aa

Mother Teresa: The Legacy Trailer

105,000 Christians martyred yearly, says European official

June 06, 2011

Every year 105,000 Christians are killed because of their faith.

This shocking figure was disclosed by Italian sociologist Massimo Introvigne, representative of the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) on Combating Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians, at the "International Conference on Inter-religious dialogue between Christians, Jews and Muslims," sponsored the Hungarian presidency of the European Union (EU) in Gödöllo, near Budapest.

"Every five minutes", Introvigne said in his speech, "a Christian is killed for [their] faith." The figure does not include the victims of civil wars, or wars between nations, but only the people put to death because they are Christians.

"If these figures are not cried out to the world, if this massacre is not stopped," Introvigne continued; "if it is not recognized that the persecution against Christians is the first worldwide emergency with regard to religious discrimination and violence, dialogue between religions will only produce wonderful symposia but no concrete results."

The conference on peaceful coexistence between religions was hosted by the Hungarian government as a highlight of its EU presidency of the European Union and saw among its participants Cardinal Péter Erdo of Budapest; the Custos of the Holy Land, Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa; Archbishop Antonio Maria Vegliò, president of the Pontifical Council for Migrants; Maronite Archbishop of Beirut Paul Matar; Metropolitan Hilarion, "foreign minister" of the Russian Orthodox Church; the representative of the European Jewish Congress Gusztáv Zoltai, that of the Organization of Islamic Conference Ömür Orhun; and the general secretary of the Committee for Islamic-Christian dialogue in Lebanon, Chakib Hares Chehab.

The Egyptian diplomat Mahmoud Aly assured participants that his country is about to pass laws that will protect Christian minorities, by prosecuting crimes as hate speech and banning hostile gatherings outside churches.

"But the danger is for many Christian communities in the Middle East to die out for emigration," Cardinal Erdo said. "For all Christians will [choose to] escape feeling threatened. And Europe should be preparing for a new wave of emigration, this time of Christians fleeing persecution." Metropolitan Hilarion, for his part, recalled that "at least one million" of the Christians enduring persecution in the world are children.

Source(s): these links will take you to other sites, in a new window.

• Introvigne: "Ogni cinque minuti un cristiano è ucciso per la sua fede" (Il Legno Storto)
• Sociologist: Every 5 Minutes a Christian Is Martyred (Zenit)
• Massimo Introvigne (Wikipedia)

In Croatia, Pope warns: Europe without faith will collapse

June 06, 2011

During a weekend visit to Croatia on June 4-5, Pope Benedict XVI repeatedly emphasized the Christian roots of European civilization, suggesting that Croatian entry into the European Union might help to combat the forces of secularization and rationalism that undermine European unity.

Pope Benedict also issued a resounding call for defense of family life, at a Mass celebrated for the National Day of Croatian Catholic Families. (See today's separate CWN headline story.)

Arriving in Zagreb on Saturday, June 4, the Holy Father was welcomed by Croatian President Ivo Josipovic and by Cardinal Josip Bozanic of Zagreb and Archbishop Marin Srakic, the president of the Croatian bishops' conference. At the airport welcoming ceremony, the Pope immediately addressed the question of Croatia's role in preserving the European identity. "From its earliest days your nation has formed part of Europe, and has contributed, in its unique way, to the spiritual and moral values that for centuries have shaped the daily lives and the personal and national identity of Europe's sons and daughters," the Pope said. "In the face of the challenges posed by today's culture--marked as it is by social differentiation and instability, and by an individualism that gives rise to a vision of life without obligations and a constant search for 'private space'--there is a need for convinced witness and active dynamism aimed at promoting the fundamental moral values that underpin social living and the identity of the Old Continent."

The Pontiff went on to voice his hope that Croatia would "help to steer the European Union toward a fuller appreciation of those spiritual and cultural treasures" that rise from Europe's Christian heritage.

Later, in a meeting with Croatian civic and cultural leaders, the Pope returned to the question of European secularization, using strong language to warn that the attempt to make an absolute separation between religious and political affairs is a danger to Europe's future. "If, in keeping with the prevailing modern idea, conscience is reduced to the subjective field to which religion and morality have been banished, then the crisis of the West has no remedy and Europe is destined to collapse in on itself," the Pope warned.

Again, during a prayer vigil with young people, the Pope spoke about the importance of recognizing spiritual matters, noiting that "all too often we realize that we put our trust in things that cannot fulfill" our true desires. "At such moments we recognize our need for something greater, capable of giving meaning to our daily lives," he said.

Source(s): these links will take you to other sites, in a new window.

• Croatia, Help European Union Appreciate Cultural and Spiritual Treasures (VIS)
• Pope backs Croatia's EU bid (AP)
• Meeting with Cultural Representatives (VIS)
• Pope Invites Youth to Trust in the Lord (VIS)
• Pope Benedict XVI in Croatia - Vigil with young people (Vatican Radio)
• Papal Vespers with Clergy and Religious - "Be effective workers in the new evangelization" (Vatican Radio)
• Pope Benedict XVI returns from Croatia (VIS)

Ordinariate growing: 54 ordinations in England; Anglican parish in Maryland to enter

June 06, 2011

On Pentecost Sunday more than 50 former Anglican clerics will be ordained as Catholic priests for the English ordinariate of Our Lady of Walshingham.

Archbishop Peter Smith of Southwark will preside at the first in a series of ordination, as the newly established ordinariate receives its first priests. Msgr. Keith Newton, who heads the ordinariate, says that nearly 1,000 lay people have made the move into the Catholic Church. "Every week somebody writes or emails asking how they can join the ordinariate," he reports.

In the US, meanwhile, the Episcopal parish of St. Luke's in Bladensburg, Maryland, has opted to join the first US ordinariate. The pastor, Rev. Mark Lewis, said that the entry of the 100-member parish into the Catholic Church was a step to "heal a wound that has existed between Rome and Anglicanism for nearly 500 years."

Source(s): these links will take you to other sites, in a new window.

• 54 Anglican Clergy to Defect to Catholic Church in Pentecost Ordinations (Christian Post)
• Episcopal church in Bladensburg to convert to Roman Catholics (Washington Post)

"Holy Spirit, Living Water" - Cyril of Jerusalem

From a catechetical instruction by Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, bishop (4th cent.)
The living water of the Holy Spirit

The water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of living water, welling up into eternal life. This is a new kind of water, a living, leaping water, welling up for those who are worthy. But why did Christ call the grace of the Spirit water? Because all things are dependent on water; plants and animals have their origin in water. Water comes down from heaven as rain, and although it is always the same in itself, it produces many different effects, one in the palm tree, another in the vine, and so on throughout the whole of creation. It does not come down, now as one thing, now as another, but while remaining essentially the same, it adapts itself to the needs of every creature that receives it.

In the same way the Holy Spirit, whose nature is always the same, simple and indivisible, apportions grace to each man as he wills. Like a dry tree which puts forth shoots when watered, the soul bears the fruit of holiness when repentance has made it worthy of receiving the Holy Spirit. Although the Spirit never changes, the effects of this action, by the will of God and in the name of Christ, are both many and marvelous. The Spirit makes one man a teacher of divine truth, inspires another to prophesy, gives another the power of casting out devils, enables another to interpret holy Scripture. The Spirit strengthens one man's self-control, shows another how to help the poor, teaches another to fast and lead a life of asceticism, makes another oblivious to the needs of the body, trains another for martyrdom. His action is different in different people, but the Spirit himself is always the same. In each person, Scripture says, the Spirit reveals his presence in a particular way for the common good.

The Spirit comes gently and makes himself known by his fragrance. He is not felt as a burden, for he is light, very light. Rays of light and knowledge stream before him as he approaches. The Spirit comes with the tenderness of a true friend and protector to save, to heal, to teach, to counsel, to strengthen, to console. The Spirit comes to enlighten the mind first of the one who receives him, and then, through him, the minds of others as well.

As light strikes the eyes of a man who comes out of darkness into the sunshine and enables him to see clearly things he could not discern before, so light floods the soul of the man counted worthy of receiving the Holy Spirit and enables him to see things beyond the range of human vision, things hitherto undreamed of.

No one has ever ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven

From a sermon by St. Augustine of Hippo (354 AD – August 28, 430 AD) No one has ever ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven

Today our Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven; let our hearts ascend with him. Listen to the words of the Apostle: If you have risen with Christ, set your hearts on the things that are above where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God; seek the things that are above, not the things that are on earth. For just as he remained with us even after his ascension, so we too are already in heaven with him, even though what is promised us has not yet been fulfilled in our bodies.

  Christ is now exalted above the heavens, but he still suffers on earth all the pain that we, the members of his body, have to bear. He showed this when he cried out from above: Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? and when he said: I was hungry and you gave me food.

  Why do we on earth not strive to find rest with him in heaven even now, through the faith, hope and love that unites us to him? While in heaven he is also with us; and we while on earth are with him. He is here with us by his divinity, his power and his love. We cannot be in heaven, as he is on earth, by divinity, but in him, we can be there by love.

  He did not leave heaven when he came down to us; nor did he withdraw from us when he went up again into heaven. The fact that he was in heaven even while he was on earth is borne out by his own statement: No one has ever ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven.

  These words are explained by our oneness with Christ, for he is our head and we are his body. No one ascended into heaven except Christ because we also are Christ: he is the Son of Man by his union with us, and we by our union with him are the sons of God. So the Apostle says: Just as the human body, which has many members, is a unity, because all the different members make one body, so is it also with Christ. He too has many members, but one body.

  Out of compassion for us he descended from heaven, and although he ascended alone, we also ascend, because we are in him by grace. Thus, no one but Christ descended and no one but Christ ascended; not because there is no distinction between the head and the body, but because the body as a unity cannot be separated from the head.

VIETNAM: priests illicitly elected to government

Vietnamese priests elected to government bodies

June 03, 2011

Seven Catholics priests have been elected to Vietnam's national assembly and provincial councils, according to official results of the voting conducted on May 22. At least 20 priests won election to local "people's councils."

The participation of priests as candidates for election provoked a lively debate among Catholics in Vietnam. Canon law forbids priests from holding office "if it means sharing in the exercise of civil power."

In an open letter to the Vietnamese hierarchy, several priests—including Father Nguyen Van Ly, a prominent dissident who has spent almost 15 years in prison—argued that membership in Communist ruling bodies falls into that proscribed category, since these organs exist to legitimize and carry out decisions of the Communist Party. "It is clear from Church teachings that no true Catholic can ever be a Communist, or condone Communism," the letter said.

Despite the criticism, Father Tran Manh Cuong of the Ban Me Thout diocese, and Father Le Ngoc Hoan of Bui Chu won their bids for membership in the national assembly. However, the priest whose candidacy raised the greatest public outcry, Father Phan Khac Tu of Saigon, was defeated in the polls.

Father Phan Khac Tuc is the editor of Catholics and Nation, a magazine that was founded in 1975 with support from the Vietnamese government, and has frequently criticized the Vatican. He is also vice-chairman of a Committee for Solidarity of Vietnamese Catholics, a group apparently modeled after China's Patriotic Catholic Association. He has boasted that during the war against the US he ran a clandestine bomb factory out of his parish church.

Source(s): these links will take you to other sites, in a new window.

• Priests win Communist elections (Viet Catholic)
• Three Vietnamese priests running for election to Communist ruling body (CWN, 4/27)

Could the ordinariates draw Evangelicals toward Catholicism?

June 03, 2011

Commenting on the Angican ordinariates, Father Dwight Longenecker remarks that many conservative Anglicans are not ready to enter the Catholic Church, because their outlook is distinctly Protestant. Nevertheless, he says, the ordinariates could be the first giant step in a Catholic effort to reach out to Evangelical Protestants: "The way to understand this more dynamic possibility is to see the ordinariate as a new bridge across the Tiber for a whole range of Protestant Christians."

Source(s): these links will take you to other sites, in a new window.

• A New Bridge across the Tiber (Crisis)

Meeting held to discuss Polish-Russian reconciliation

Meeting held to discuss Polish-Russian reconciliation

This comes almost exactly a year after their first meeting in June of 2010 (see here). There were also other moments of dialogue and discussion that occurred last year that moved the conversation forward (see here and here).

---

(mospat.ru) - On June 1, 2011, during his trip to Poland, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate's department for external church relations, visited the headquarters of the Conference of Catholic Bishops in Poland to meet with some leaders of the Roman Catholic Church in that country. The Polish side included Archbishop Celestino Migliore, Apostolic Nuncio to Poland, Archbishop Henryk Muszynski, Honorary Primate of Poland, Bishop Stanislaw Budzik, general secretary of the Polish Bishops' Conference, and Bishop Tadeusz Pikus, head of the Bishops' Conference council for inter-Christian unity.

Metropolitan Hilarion was accompanied by Archpriest Igor Yakimchuk, DECR secretary for inter-Orthodox relations.

The sides discussed the preparation of a joint statement of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church in Poland on reconciliation of the nations in their pastoral care. The decision to work at such a document was made in February 2010.

The DECR chairman stressed that the history of relations between the two nations saw many tragic events, and approaches to their assessment should be sensitive and as well-considered as possible. According to Metropolitan Hilarion, in preparing the document, special attention should be given to today's problems so that common challenges facing the two Churches could be identified and a common response to them could be found.

After the meeting a dinner was given in honour of Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk.

"I am with you and no one will be against you!"

All Saints Homilies - on the Feast of the Ascension of our Lord

Speaking the Truth in Love - on His Ascension

Troparion - Tone 4

O Christ God, You have ascended in Glory,
Granting joy to Your disciples by the promise of the Holy Spirit.
Through the blessing they were assured
That You are the Son of God,
The Redeemer of the world!

Kontakion - Tone 6

When You had fulfilled the dispensation for our sake,
and united earth to heaven:
You ascended in glory, O Christ our God,
not being parted from those who love You,
but remaining with them and crying:
"I am with you and no one will be against you!"