At the meeting, Bishop Tri talked about evangelization as the primary concern of the diocese which is regarded as the smallest diocese in Vietnam with only more than 6,000 Catholics (around 0,33 percent of the area’s population).
Bishop Tri also shared challenges and opportunities of the diocese in evangelizing mission. Lang Son – Cao Bang diocese covers 18,359 sq kms in the provinces of Lang Son and Cao Bang as well as the districts east of the Lo River in Ha Giang Province, 800 km along the Vietnam-China border.[1] Catholics have scattered across the provinces that makes parishes face many difficulties to organize pastoral activities.
Although the diocese is the smallest diocese in Vietnam’s Catholic Church, it has huge potential to proclaim and share the Gospel since in the large area of the diocese, there are several ethnic groups such as, Nung and Tay (85 percent), King (Vietnamese), Sao, Chinese, San Chay, Hmong (15 percent).[2]
According to Bishop Tri, in the context of diverse religions and cultures, the primary focus of the task of evangelization in Lang Son – Cao Bang diocese is inculturation. Therefore, Bishop Tri hoped that Vietnamese Jesuits who have been inspired by the past experience of their fellow missionaries in China and Vietnam, will effectively get engaged in evangelizing mission in his diocese.
In responding to the bishop’s call, Fr. Provincial thanked the bishop for his warm welcoming and promised that the Vietnamese Province will send its missionaries to Lang Son – Cao Bang in the near future to collaborate with the diocese in evangelization.
[1] Peter Tran, “Great prospects for evangelisation in the Diocese of Lạng Sơn-Cao Bằng,” Asia News, https://www.asianews.it/news-en/Great-prospects-for-evangelisation-in-the-Diocese-of-L%E1%BA%A1ng-S%C6%A1n-Cao-B%E1%BA%B1ng-50409.html (Accessed April 8, 2022).
[2] Ibid.
