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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 | |
 | |
 The coat of arms of Archbishop Joseph Nguyễn Năng | |
| Location | |
| Country | Saigon, Vietnam |
| Ecclesiastical province | Saigon |
| Deaneries | 14 |
| Coordinates | 10°46′48″N 106°41′56″E / 10.7799°N 106.6990°E |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 2,093 km2 (808 sq mi) |
| Population - Total - Catholics | (as of 2022) 8,465,401 722,098 (8.5%) |
| Parishes | 203 |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Catholic Church |
| Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
| Rite | Roman Rite |
| Cathedral | Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception |
| Patron saint | Immaculate Conception |
| Secular priests | 379 |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Francis |
| Metropolitan Archbishop | Joseph Nguyễn Năng |
| Suffragans | |
| Auxiliary Bishops | Joseph Bùi Công Trác |
| Bishops emeritus | Jean-Baptiste Phạm Minh Mẫn |
| Website | |
| tgpsaigon | |
The suffragan dioceses are:
- Diocese of Bà Rịa
- Diocese of Cần Thơ
- Diocese of Đà Lạt
- Diocese of Long Xuyên
- Diocese of Mỹ Tho
- Diocese of Phan Thiết
- Diocese of Phú Cường
- Diocese of Vĩnh Long
- Diocese of Xuân Lộc.
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
editSince 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
editNotre 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
editVicars 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
editDuring 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
editDuring 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- Jean-Baptiste Nguyễn Bá Tòng, appointed Vicar Apostolic of Phát Diệm and Titular Bishop of Sozopolis in Hæmimonto in 1933 (Apostolic Administrator there in 1944)
- Paul Nguyễn Văn Bình, appointed Vicar Apostolic of Cần Thơ and Titular Bishop of Agnusiensi in 1955 and later appointed Archbishop here in 1960
- Antoine Nguyễn Văn Thiện (priest here, 1932–1955), appointed Bishop of Vĩnh Long in 1960
- Joseph Trần Văn Thiện (priest here, 1935–1938), appointed Bishop of Mỹ Tho in 1960
- Philippe Nguyễn Kim Điền PFI (priest here, 1947–1956), appointed Bishop of Cần Thơ in 1960 and later Titular Archbishop of Parium and Apostolic Administrator of Huế (later Archbishop there in 1968)
- Michel Nguyễn Khắc Ngữ (incardinated in 1954), appointed Bishop of Long Xuyên in 1960
- Jacques Nguyễn Ngọc Quang (priest here, 1935–1938), appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Cần Thơ in 1965 and later succeeded
- Joseph Phạm Văn Thiên, appointed Bishop of Phú Cường in 1965
- Jacques Nguyễn Văn Mầu, appointed Bishop of Vĩnh Long in 1968
- Barthélémy Nguyễn Sơn Lâm PSS (priest here, 1957–1960), appointed Bishop of Đà Lạt in 1975 and later Bishop of Thanh Hóa
- Jean Baptiste Bùi Tuần (priest here, 1955–1960), appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Long Xuyên in 1975 and later succeeded
- André Nguyễn Văn Nam (priest here, 1952–1960), appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Mỹ Tho in 1975 and later succeeded
- Jacques Huỳnh Văn Của (priest here, 1941–1965), appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Phú Cường and Titular Bishop of Mizigi in 1976
- Louis Hà Kim Danh (priest here, 1940–1955), appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Phú Cường in 1982 and later succeeded
- Joseph Đinh Đức Đạo, appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Xuân Lộc and Titular Bishop of Gadiaufala in 2013 and later Coadjutor there (succeeded in 2016)
- Joseph Đỗ Quang Khang, appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Bắc Ninh in 2021 and later succeeded
- Peter Kiều Công Tùng, appointed Bishop of Phát Diệm in 2023
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ GCatholic.org
- ^ Catholic Hierarchy Directory
- ^ LA Times, August 2008
- ^ "Catholic youth accompany abandoned children", May 2006, in Asia News
- ^ "More than 7,000 young people take part in Saigon diocese's Youth day", Asia News on Vietnam, December 2007
- ^ "More than 7 thousand faithful gather to reflect on God's compassion", Asia News, March 2008
- ^ "Ho Chi Minh City, Catholics at work against AIDS and prostitution", Asia News, February 2008
- ^ Images of Notre Dame Cathedral, by Mary Ann Sullivan, Bluffton University
- ^ "Metropolitan Archdiocese of Thành-Phô Hô Chí Minh Bishops". gcatholic.
- ^ "Metropolitan Archdiocese of Thành-Phô Hô Chí Minh Bishops". gcatholic.
- ^ "Metropolitan Archdiocese of Thành-Phô Hô Chí Minh Bishops". gcatholic.
- ^ "Metropolitan Archdiocese of Thành-Phô Hô Chí Minh Bishops". gcatholic.
External links
edit- Official website (in English)
- Official website (in Vietnamese)