Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saigon

The Archdiocese of Saigon (Vietnamese: Tổng giáo phận Sài Gòn, Latin: Archidioecesis Saigonensis) or Archdiocese of Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnamese: Tổng giáo phận Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, Latin: Archidioecesis Hochiminhopolitana) is a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical territory in the south of Vietnam. By far the largest diocese in the country by population of people and second in the number of Catholics, yet like most big cities it only covers a small area of 2,390 km2 (920 sq mi).

Archdiocese of Saigon

Archidioecesis Saigonensis
Archidioecesis Hochiminhopolitana

Tổng giáo phận Sài Gòn
Tổng giáo phận đô thành Sài Gòn
Catholic
Coat of arms of the Archdiocese of Saigon
The coat of arms of Archbishop Joseph Nguyễn Năng
Location
CountrySaigon, Vietnam
Ecclesiastical provinceSaigon
Deaneries14
Coordinates10°46′48″N 106°41′56″E / 10.7799°N 106.6990°E / 10.7799; 106.6990
Statistics
Area2,093 km2 (808 sq mi)
Population
- Total
- Catholics
(as of 2022)
8,465,401
722,098 (8.5%)
Parishes203
Information
DenominationCatholic Church
Sui iuris churchLatin Church
RiteRoman Rite
CathedralCathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception
Patron saintImmaculate Conception
Secular priests379
Current leadership
PopeFrancis
Metropolitan ArchbishopJoseph Nguyễn Năng
Suffragans
Auxiliary BishopsJoseph Bùi Công Trác
Bishops emeritusJean-Baptiste Phạm Minh Mẫn
Website
tgpsaigon.net

The suffragan dioceses are:

Immaculate Conception Cathedral Basilica (Vương cung thánh đường Chính tòa Đức Mẹ Vô nhiễm Nguyên tội – Nhà thờ Đức Bà Sài Gòn) in Ho Chi Minh City has been assigned as the cathedral of the archdiocese.[1] There are also Saint Francis Xavier Church, Jeanne d'Arc Church, Saint Joseph Church, Sacred Heart Church, Saint Philip Church, Tân Định Church.

By 2004, the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Ho Chi Minh City had about 602,478 believers (11.0% of the population), 519 priests and 195 parishes.[2]

The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Ho Chi Minh city is a "sister" diocese of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles (United States) since 2008.[3]

The archdiocese ministers often take part in international exchanges and contacts, though with special permission of the Vietnamese authorities.

The young Catholics from the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Ho Chi Minh city and Archdiocese of Hanoi formed in 2006 an organization for helping children in rural and underdeveloped areas of Vietnam.[4] The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Ho Chi Minh City regularly organizes special mass events including the Youth Day in December 2007, which was attended by more than 7 000 young people, who take part in volunteer and charitable activities,[5] and two prayer vigils "God is rich in compassion" in March 2008 with the participation of several thousand faithful.[6]

There is a center of social work organized by the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Ho Chi Minh city, which consists of priests, laypeople and members of civil groups. The center is occupied with three main problems: helping street children, activities to reduce HIV/AIDS level and help its victims, social and psychological work with prostitutes to get them off the streets.[7]

Name

edit

Since its establishment in 1844, this archdiocese has gone through various names: Vicariate Apostolic of West Tonkin (1844–1924), Vicariate Apostolic of Saigon (1924–1960), and then the Archdiocese of Saigon (from 1960).

Nowadays, this archdiocese is called the Archdiocese of Ho Chi Minh City, after the administrative name of the city, and in its communications, the Vatican uses this name.

In reality, the name Archdiocese of Saigon is still used in the documents of the Catholic Church in Vietnam. Additionally, sometimes the name used is the Archdiocese of Saigon – Ho Chi Minh City.

Cathedral

edit

Notre Dame Cathedral in Ho Chi Minh City is considered to be one of the main city attractions and one of the most beautiful buildings in all Vietnam. It was built from 1877 to 1880 by the French architect J. Bourad, has a Neo-Romanesque façade with twin towers and a statue of the Virgin Mary in the center front.[8]

Bishops

edit

Vicars Apostolic of Western Cochin

edit
Ordinaries Period in office Status Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic Reference
1 Bishop Dominique Lefèbvre, M.E.P. March 02, 1844 – August 28, 1864 Retired Bishop Jean-Claude Miche, M.E.P. March 11, 1844 – September 09, 1864 [9]
2 Bishop Jean-Claude Miche, M.E.P. September 09, 1864 – December 01, 1873 Died in office Bishop Isidore-François-Joseph Colombert, M.E.P. February 06, 1872 – December 01, 1872
3 Bishop Isidore-François-Joseph Colombert, M.E.P. December 01, 1873 – December 31, 1894 Vacant
4 Bishop Jean-Marie Dépierre, M.E.P. April 12, 1895 – October 17, 1898
5 Bishop Lucien-Emile Mossard, M.E.P. February 11, 1899 – February 11, 1920 Bishop Victor-Charles Quinton, M.E.P. February 12, 1912 – February 11, 1920
6 Bishop Victor-Charles Quinton, M.E.P. February 11, 1920 – October 04, 1924 Vacant

Vicars Apostolic of Sài Gòn

edit
Ordinaries Period in office Status Reference
1 Bishop Isidore-Marie-Joseph Dumortier, M.E.P. December 17, 1925 – February 16, 1940 Died in office [10]
2 Bishop Jean Cassaigne, M.E.P. March 20, 1941 – September 20, 1955 Retired
3 Bishop Simon Hoà Nguyễn Văn Hiền September 20, 1955 – November 24, 1960 Transferred to Diocese of Đà Lat.

Archbishops of Ho Chi Minh City

edit
Archbishops Coat of Arms Period in office Status Reference
Metropolitan Archbishops of Saigon
1 Archbishop Paul Nguyễn Văn Bình   November 24, 1960 – November 23, 1976 Remained as Archbishop [11]
Metropolitan Archbishops of Thành-Phô Hô Chí Minh
1 Archbishop Paul Nguyễn Văn Bình   November 23, 1976 – July 01, 1995 Died in office [12]
Bishop Nicolas Huỳnh Văn Nghi 1993 – March 01, 1998 Apostolic Administrator
2   Cardinal Jean-Baptiste Phạm Minh Mẫn   March 01, 1998 – March 22, 2014 Retired
3   Archbishop Paul Bùi Văn Ðọc   March 22, 2014 – March 06, 2018 Died in Office
4   Archbishop Joseph Nguyễn Năng   October 19, 2019 – present Current Archbishop

Auxiliary Bishops

edit

During Archbishop Paul Nguyễn Văn Bình's tenure (1960–1995)

  • Bishop François-Xavier Trần Thanh Khâm (1965.10.14 – 1976.10.02)
  • Bishop Nicolas Huỳnh Văn Nghi (1974.07.01 – 1979.12.06)
  • Bishop Louis Phạm Văn Nẫm (1977.12.03 – 1995.07.01)

During Apostolic Administration in the Archdiocese (1995–1998)

  • Bishop Louis Phạm Văn Nẫm (1995.07.01 – 1998.03.01)

During Cardinal Jean-Baptiste Phạm Minh Mẫn's tenure (1998–2014)

  • Bishop Louis Phạm Văn Nẫm (1998.03.01 – 1999.09.30)
  • Bishop Joseph Vũ Duy Thống (2001.07.04 – 2009.07.25)
  • Bishop Pierre Nguyễn Văn Khảm (2008.10.15 – 2014.03.22)

During Archbishop Paul Bùi Văn Ðọc's tenure (2014–2018)

  • Bishop Pierre Nguyễn Văn Khảm (2014.03.22 – 2014.07.26)
  • Bishop Joseph Đỗ Mạnh Hùng (2016.06.25 – 2018.03.26)

During Archbishop Joseph Nguyễn Năng's tenure (2019 – present)

  • Bishop Joseph Đỗ Mạnh Hùng (2018.03.26 – 2019.12.03)
  • Bishop Louis Nguyễn Anh Tuấn (2017.08.25 – 2023.03.25)
  • Bishop Joseph Bùi Công Trác (2022.11.01 – present)

Coadjutor Bishops

edit

During Archbishop Paul Nguyễn Văn Bình's tenure (1960–1995)

  • Venerable Archbishop François Xavier Nguyễn Văn Thuận (1975.04.24 – 1994.11.24)

During Cardinal Jean-Baptiste Phạm Minh Mẫn's tenure (1998–2014)

  • Archbishop Paul Bùi Văn Ðọc (2013.09.28 – 2014.03.22)

Other secular clergy who became bishops

edit

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ GCatholic.org
  2. ^ Catholic Hierarchy Directory
  3. ^ LA Times, August 2008
  4. ^ "Catholic youth accompany abandoned children", May 2006, in Asia News
  5. ^ "More than 7,000 young people take part in Saigon diocese's Youth day", Asia News on Vietnam, December 2007
  6. ^ "More than 7 thousand faithful gather to reflect on God's compassion", Asia News, March 2008
  7. ^ "Ho Chi Minh City, Catholics at work against AIDS and prostitution", Asia News, February 2008
  8. ^ Images of Notre Dame Cathedral, by Mary Ann Sullivan, Bluffton University
  9. ^ "Metropolitan Archdiocese of Thành-Phô Hô Chí Minh Bishops". gcatholic.
  10. ^ "Metropolitan Archdiocese of Thành-Phô Hô Chí Minh Bishops". gcatholic.
  11. ^ "Metropolitan Archdiocese of Thành-Phô Hô Chí Minh Bishops". gcatholic.
  12. ^ "Metropolitan Archdiocese of Thành-Phô Hô Chí Minh Bishops". gcatholic.
edit