Benedict XVI appoints Xuan Loc auxiliary on the last day of his pontificate
Ho Chi Minh City (AsiaNews) - Vietnamese Catholics are praying for Pope emeritus Benedict XVI, and for the future conclave, called to choose a successor to the See of Peter. Meanwhile, on the last day of his pontificate - on February 28 - the Pope appointed Msgr. Joseph Dinh Duc Dao auxiliary bishop of the diocese of Xuan Loc, a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Ho Chi Minh City in the south of the country. For the faithful, the appointment is a "further sign" of Benedict XVI's attention to the Asian nation, which has seen - under his pontificate - the establishment of official diplomatic relations and repeated high-level visits.
Bishop
Jospeh Dinh Duc Dao was born March 2, 1945 at Thuc Hoa, in the province of Nam Dinh, in the
north of the country. From
1961 to 1964 he studied at the Seminary of St. Francis Xavier in the diocese of
Bui Chu, he moved then to the major seminary of St. Joseph of the former
Saigon, where he spent the next two years. From
1965 to 1971 he was in Rome, studying at the Pontifical Urbanianum University. He was ordained in
1971.
The
prelate has held numerous positions at a pastoral, academic and administrative level,
the last of which as a consultant to the Pontifical Council for Interreligious
Dialogue and Rector (since 2009) of the Major Seminary in Xuan Loc. He was also
responsible for apostolate
for the Vietnamese diaspora and has written numerous articles and essays
devoted to missionary spirituality and prospects of evangelization in Africa.
During
his years at the helm of the diocesan seminary, the new auxiliary bishop has
contributed to a growth in vocations, improving the level of education and formation
of future priests.
The
diocese of Xuan Loc - in South Vietnam - is made up of nearly 2.5 million
people, of which nearly 900 thousand of the Catholic faith. There
405 priests, while religious - men and women - are 2.134.
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