China’s Zero COVIDd-19 policy has disrupted trade, forcing Vietnamese farmers to throw away tonnes of fresh fruit. In turn, this has pushed the Vietnamese government to redirect exports to Australia asking overseas Vietnamese to support their homeland’s farmers.
The outbreak of the pandemic had stopped their work while more and more people found themselves in dire straits. Volunteers go from house to house to collect material to sell to recycling companies. Caritas hands out money to beneficiaries.
Vietnam produces 25 million tons of solid waste each year. On average, a Vietnamese household uses one pound of plastic bags per month. International cooperation projects against pollution continue.
About 2,000 Vietnamese children suffered violence in the past two years, usually by family members or acquaintances. For experts, accepting violence as an educational tool is wrong.
During the Christmas holidays, a group of youth in the Diocese of Hưng Hóa completed the first cycle of Christian training. For Fr Peter Phạm Thanh Bình, “we diligently receive the sacrament of the Eucharist to be ready to help and serve the brothers and sisters who live around us.”
A parish in the Archdiocese of Ho Chi Minh City has lost as many as 70 members to COVID-19. After pastoral activities resumed on 2 December, the parish build a Bethlehem cave in the church square. The pandemic has sparked communal self-help, including “many non-Christians” who received help “at a time when they had no food or medicine”.
A community founded more than two centuries ago by six persecuted Catholics now has more than 8,000 members. The faith is kept alive by sharing “the joys and sorrows of all, even with non-Catholics.”
Parishes in the Mekong Delta are active with charitable initiatives and online catechesis. Bishop Tri Bửu Thiên wants to see “house churches” grow.
The fourth COVID-19 wave hasn't stopped Catholics in Bắc Ninh from bringing the Good News to those who don't know Jesus. Eleven people were recently baptised. Lay missionaries provide “answers that evoke the words of Jesus,” said Brother Dominic Trần Văn Tân.
Pope Francis appoints a 56-year-old biblical scholar, vice-rector of Ho Chi Minh City's major seminary, to join Msgr Cosme Hoàng Văn Ðạt to guide the populous northern diocese where there are just 140,000 Catholics.
“My priority will be to announce the Good News to indigenous villagers, educate children, and help people preserve their linguistic and cultural traditions,” said Fr Guise Má A Cả, 38.
The health crisis disrupted supply chains forcing farmers’ associations to reorganise and support production. Hundreds of families now sell their products online.
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