Local Churches

Bishop Nguyễn Năng: “Life changes, but the ‘true nature’ of marriage doesn’t”

The commitment of the Vietnamese church to young people and families
Vietnam.jpg

“Separations, divorces, and small nuclei are becoming increasingly frequent.” This is the alarm launched by Msgr. Joseph Nguyễn Năng, Bishop of Phát Diệm, regarding the situation in Vietnam where, as he explains, “people now have a different vision of life and their habits. Materialism exerts a negative influence, and families seem to lack joy and laughter.”

Hence, every Catholic family is invited to “pray to God every day.” “You must calm down and distinguish right from wrong. When you will be patient in prayer, you will find happiness. Life changes, but the ‘true nature’ of marriage doesn’t,” he concluded.

The commitment to the family is one of the priorities in the country. The Archdiocese of Saigon, for example, also pays special attention to the fruits of marriage: children. Father John Lê Quang Việt, head of the youth ministry, says: “Young people are able to develop initiatives and pastoral activities if the parishes have the conditions and appropriate programs. In this social context, however, young people are often confused by the ‘virtual world.’ As a result, they are frequently victims of premarital sex, abortion, and divorce.”

“Young people need to be enlightened by four principles of the Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church—says Father John—They are the human person, the common good, solidarity, and complementarity. These four values ​​of dignity will help young people to pray diligently and to participate in the sacraments so that they may receive God’s graces.”

 

01 September 2018