(VNF) - Politburo member and President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan attended the opening ceremony of the 8^th Congress of the Episcopal Council of the Catholic Church of Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City on October 4^th.

VFF President Nguyen Thien Nhan greets a representative from the Episcopal Council of the Catholic Church of Vietnam. (Photo: VNA)

Addressing the opening session of the Vietnam Episcopal Council (VEC)’s 8^th Congress, which also saw the presence of representatives from the Government’s Committee for Religious Affairs, and municipal officials, the VFF leader praised contributions of Catholic dignitaries and followers to the national construction and defence.

VFF President Nguyen Thien Nhan congratulated the Congress, affirming that the Party, State and VFF consistently paid attention to and created favourable conditions for the Catholic Church and practitioners of Catholicism to exercise their right to freedom of religion and to make practical contributions to the national construction and defence, thereby elevating the status of the Catholic Church of Vietnam among other churches in the region and the world.

The VFF leader also emphasized achievements made in socioeconomic matters, along with the solidarity and social consensus among people of different ethnic groups and religions in past years. Those achievements were thanks to the contributions of the Episcopal Council, bishops and followers, he said.

While highlighting the patriotism of Catholic followers, he expressed his hope that the VEC will continue promoting solidarity among Catholic communities nationwide.

He said with its responsibility, the VFF has been giving comments relating to the building of the Law on Belief and Religion to the National Assembly.

When the law is adopted, it will contribute to protecting the right to belief and religion of citizens, and recognize significant contributions of religions to the nation’s development as well, he noted.

He also spoke highly of the Pope’s message on environmental protection and recalled that the VFF, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment and fourteen religions in Vietnam had convened a national meeting to promote the role of religions in environmental protection and climate change response.

For his part, on behalf of the VEC, Archbishop Paul Bui Van Doc, Chairman of the Episcopal Council of the Catholic Church of Vietnam, thanked the VFF leader for his support, saying that the five-day Congress would set out appropriate modes of operation in line with the circumstances of the new period./.

( Compiled by VNF )