The archbishop of a diocese in southern Vietnam must support and love the sheep according to the example of Jesus after receiving a pallium.
Singapore-based Archbishop Marek Zalewski, non-resident representative of the Holy See in Vietnam, solemnly placed a pallium on Archbishop Joseph Nguyen Nang of Ho Chi Minh City at Notre Dame Cathedral in the metropolis on 19 February.
Present at the special Mass broadcast on the Archdiocese’s website due to the Covid-19 pandemic were 16 bishops and representatives of local priests, religious and lay associations.
The pallium was blessed by Pope Francis on the feast of Saints Peter and Paul on June 29, 2020. Archbishop Zalewski made his first week-long pastoral visit to Vietnam since the pandemic hit the country in 2019.
Bishop Joseph Nguyen Chi Linh, head of Vietnamese bishops, said Bishop Nang had been administering the local Church since his installation in late 2019, so the ceremony meant he now had the right to wear the pallium when presiding over services services in Saigon Ecclesiastical Province which covers 10 dioceses in the south.
Archbishop Linh said the palliums symbolized the archbishops’ close communion with the pope as well as their authority and responsibility to care for the people of God.
Archbishop of Hue says shepherds should not be indifferent to plight of sheep in desert of poverty, disease, loneliness and despair
Sheep’s wool palliums signify that pastors must carry the burden of Christ, who is ready to carry the lost sheep to living water.
The Prelate said that Ho Chi Minh City is the main commercial center of the country, but also a place full of traps, dangers and challenges. Growing tendencies towards secularism, lax morals and consumerism make the city not only a promised land for economic development but also a moral wasteland.
Noting that the only secret to cooling the desert is the water of love, he said the Archdiocese led by Archbishop Nang is focusing on spreading love among the local people through its activities during the pandemic.
The Archbishop of Hue said shepherds should not be indifferent to the plight of sheep in the desert of poverty, disease, loneliness and despair. Jesus offered Peter leadership with love and duty.
Thank you. You are now subscribed to the daily newsletter
Noting that carrying the pallium means carrying the sheep according to Jesus, Archbishop Linh called on the local people to pray that their Archbishop will learn to love his sheep more and more and that all peoples, the Church and society support each other. .
Bishop Nang, who is assistant to the Vietnamese bishops, said he has already taken the yoke upon him since 2019 and God’s yoke is easy and light. He wears it more lightly when local bishops and people support him, pray for him, and cooperate with him in running the local Church.
“The pallium is both an honor and a heavy burden, so please pray for me,” he said, adding that he needs prayers and the spirit of fellowship from the people. local as the global church looks forward to a synodal church: communion, participation and mission.
The 68-year-old Archbishop urged local Catholics to protect, enlighten and intensify the communion which is the nature, characteristic and strength of the Church which has the potential to attract others.
The Archdiocese of Ho Chi Minh City is the largest and most active of the three archdioceses in Vietnam. The others are Hanoi and Hue.
Support UCA News…
….As we enter the first months of 2022, we ask readers like you to help us keep UCA News free.
For 40 yearsUCA News has remained Asia’s most trusted and independent Catholic news and information service. Every week we publish nearly 100 news items exclusive, in-depth news stories, reports, commentary, podcasts and video shows, and developed from a view of the world and the Church through discerning Catholic eyes.
Our journalistic standards are as high as those of the quality press; we are particularly focused on a rapidly growing part of the world – Asia – where in some countries the Church is growing faster than pastoral resources can meet – South Korea, Vietnam and India for n to name just three.
And UCA News has the advantage of having in its ranks local reporters covering 23 countries in South, Southeast and East Asia. We report the stories of local people and their experiences in ways that Western media simply don’t have the resources to reach. And we report on the budding life of new Churches in ancient lands where being Catholic can sometimes be very dangerous.
With diminishing support from funding partners in Europe and the United States, we need to enlist the support of those who benefit from our work.
Click here to find out how you can support UCA News. You can make a difference for as little as US$5…
