On the feast of St. Joseph, Vietnamese Catholics pray for Popes

March 19, 2013: On the feast day of St. Joseph, patron saint of the Church in Vietnam, the faithful are praying in communion with Catholics around the world at the beginning of the pontificate of Pope Francis, who on Tuesday at St. Peter's Square celebrated Mass for the inauguration of his ministry. And in this season of Lent in preparation for Easter, they also extend their thoughts and thanks to Benedict XVI Pope emeritus for the work accomplished during the eight years as head of the universal Church and .
Card. Jean Baptist Phạm Minh Mẫn, archbishop of Ho Chi Minh City, one of the 115 cardinals present at the Conclave that led to the election of Pope Bergoglio is concelebrating mass for the start of the pontificate. For the faithful, it is a double celebration, because it coincides with the celebration of the patron saint, "we all prayed to St. Joseph - a faithful of the former Saigon tells AsiaNews - to ask him to intercede with the Lord for the Church in Vietnam, so we can cooperate with each other in the spirit of unity, communion and love. " Bishop Nguyen Van Nhon, President of the Episcopal Conference, sent a letter to Pope Francis acknowledging "the love of priests, religious men and seven million Vietnamese Catholics" for the new pontiff. The prelate ensures "constant prayer" and entrusts to "Our Lady of La Vang and the Vietnamese martyrs" the pope's mission as leader of the Church.
The vice-president of the bishops conference, Msgr. Nguyen Chi Linh, of the diocese of Than Hoa, emphasizes the "respect, love and dedication" of each Catholic family and parish for the pontiff. He was echoed by Fr. Van Loi, a priest in Saigon, who appreciated the attention of Pope Francis towards "social issues" and "the spirit of poverty." Fr. Joseph Dinh Huu Thoai a young Redemptorist priest, adds: "The new Pope has come at the right time, in a difficult time for the Church. We are confident of a positive change for the Church in Vietnam."