Vietnam priests urged to be in communion with laity

Vietnam

Bishop Aloisius Nguyen Hung Vi of Kontum was presiding over the Chrism Mass at Immaculate Conception Cathedral

Priests in Vietnam’s southern dioceses have been asked to be in communion with the Church by establishing close relationships with fellow clerics and laypeople.

“We have to work with one another for the benefit of the local Church and laypeople,” said Bishop Aloisius Nguyen Hung Vi of Kontum while presiding over the Chrism Mass at Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Kontum City on April 13.

The head of the Episcopal Commission on Sacred Music of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Vietnam said priests are invited to live in brotherhood and harmony with one another and not be lonely, as it is the companionship that assists their bachelor and consecrated life.

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They should visit and meet one another to discuss pastoral issues and learn good things from one another, he added.

Bishop Vi also urged local priests to get close to the laity as pastors must take the smell of sheep. They should know how to live amicably among laypeople, sympathize with, care for and help them rather than grill, sermonize and cause difficulties to them.

Bishop Vi said many priests and seminarians shun their bishop and are afraid of expressing their ideas or views.

He said national traditions create conditions for local clerics to retain their domination. Some priests show overwhelming self-confidence and superiority over other people and are so sanctimonious

“I am a bit down in the dumps because some parish priests do not give announcements from the Bishop’s House and even the bishop’s letters to their parishioners. They also fail to carry out the diocesan activities and participate in the ‘24 Hours for the Lord’ initiative during Lent,” he said, adding that ignoring such activities was unacceptable.

He said national traditions create conditions for local clerics to retain their domination. Some priests show overwhelming self-confidence and superiority over other people and are so sanctimonious.

They refuse to listen to others, hold on tightly to the rules and adopt inflexible attitudes in all circumstances. Some young priests take patronizing attitudes, disrespect laypeople including the elderly and behave disgracefully, the prelate observed.

Bishop Vi called on local people not to complain but sympathize with their priests as they are not angels or supermen but glacial, quick-tempered, weak and imperfect men who need to get better day by day.

“Please pray for us to be God’s faithful ministers and servants, and good pastors according to His will,” he told the congregation.

Kontum Diocese has some 200 priests and 660 religious serving 360,000 Catholics.

Meanwhile, Bishop Joseph Tran Van Toan of Long Xuyen said he and his predecessors apologized sincerely to local priests, religious and laypeople for not humbly serving others as servants in the family of God’s people.

He was speaking at the Chrism Mass held at Our Lady of Tan Hiep Church in Kien Giang province on April 12.

Bishop Toan, the head of the Episcopal Commission for Laypeople, also called on local priests to forgive one another and begged forgiveness of religious and the laity for creating scandals that damaged the spiritual and religious life of local people.

In return, local laypeople also asked priests to forgive their wrongdoings.

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