Bishops and Vietnamese priests visit the Catholic Church in Cambodia

Posted: 24th October 2004

Cardinal Jean-Baptist recieves the cross of bishop Salas from Msgr. Emile

Msgr. Jean-Baptiste Pham Ming Mân, Cardinal, Archbishop of the Archidocese of Thành-Phô Hô Chí Minh presided a delegation of bishops and priests from Vietnam in its visit to Cambodia and the Catholic Church of Cambodia last week, from the 18 to the 23 of October. Cardinal Pham Ming Mân was accompanied by Msgr. Emmanuel Lê Phong Thuán, Bishop of the diocese of Cân Tho, Msgr. Joseph Vu Duy Thong, Auxiliary Bishop of the diocese of Thán-Phô Hô Chi Minh and a group of 12 priests of both dioceses.

This visit was a joyful encounter with their neighboring Cambodia and at the same time an opportunity to call to memory their years as students at the Minor Seminary of Phnom Penh fifty years back. Till middle 20th century there was only the Apostolic Vicariate of Phnom Penh in this region that covered the present territory of Cambodia and part of South Vietnam. Msgr. Jean-Baptiste and Msgr. Emmanuel Lê Phong Thuán recalled the years of mid 20th century when they were students at the Minor Seminary in Phnom Penh.

In dialogue with reporters of C.S.C (Social Catholic Communications of Cambodia), Cardinal Pham Ming Mân expressed his joy for this re-encounter with the Church in Cambodia and for the flourishing of the Church here after the stormy years that led the Church to almost a total extinction. Msgr. Emmanuel said to C.S.C. that "During these days we have visited several local Churches, specially Vietnamese communities and we were admired of its dynamism and of the strength of their faith. I have the confidence many Vietnamese Catholics are and will continue to be missionaries among the Cambodians and will continue giving to them the rich contribution of the Gospel of Christ” Father John Vuy Thaiseg, Judicial Vicar of the Archdiocese Hô Chi Ming expressed that "we have visited diverse Catholic communities and we have realized that all of them have good leaders and many activities. We congratulate the Church in Cambodia for this effort of the reconstruction and revival of the Church they have made during the last decade.

On Friday, October 22, the delegation of bishops and priests went to visit the Church of Cham Pa, 10 kilometers southeast of Phnom Penh, to celebrate the Eucharist Msgr. Emile Destombes, Apostolic Vicar of Phnom Penh, presided the ceremony. The Mass was attended by nearly one-thousand Vietnamese Catholics who came from different corners of Cambodia to greet the illustrious visitors. In the homily, Msgr. Jean-Baptiste encouraged to the assembly "to remain faithful to their faith, even in adverse circumstances”.

Msgr. Jean-Bautista talking to reporters of C.S.C. after the celebration said that “many Vietnamese people have come to Cambodia looking for a job. I am confident that their faith in the Holy Spirit Santo will transform them in messengers of the Good News of Jesus Christ for all the Cambodians”…“After so many years of war and specially the cruel period of the genocide, I feel very happy to see the resurrection of the country, not only in the economic field, but also spiritually speaking”.

Msgr Joseph Vu Duy Thong Auxiliary Bishop of Ho chi Ming

Msgr. Joseph Vu Duy Thong, Auxiliary Bishop of Hô chi Ming said to C.S.C. that "this is my first time that I have come to Cambodia. I found a dynamic Church. We visited several dispersed Vietnamese Catholic communities in different regions. We have seen them well integrated in the life of the Church. This visit of Cardinal Jean-Bautista and of Mons. Emmanuel and group of priests will help our local Churches of Vietnam and Cambodia to consolidate their bonds and to mutually support each other in our common mission of bringing the Good News of Jesus to the Vietnamese and the Cambodians.

Bishop Emile Destombes, Apostolic Vicar of Phnom Penh said to C.S.C. reporters that this visit of the bishops and priests from Vietnam is of great importance for since due to the historical links between the two local Churches. “I thank the Church in Vietnam in the name of the Church in Cambodia for their support to the Church in Cambodia in different periods of history. In the name of our local Church I offered Cardinal Jean-Baptiste a replica of the cross of Msgr. Joseph Salas, who died of exhaustion during the time of Pol Pot”. “We cannot forget that many Vietnamese Catholics offered their lives during those difficult years in Cambodia”, concluded Msgr. Emile.

Article Source: C.S.C. Reported by Fr. Omer Giraldo