Nguyen Van Tranh

For years the Church had asked permission to expand the seminary to accommodate the growing number of young seminarians. Vietnam's desire to join the World Trade Organisation is behind the decision.

The faithful lack places to worship and celebrate mass but are increasingly involved in pastoral and social activities inside parishes, dealing with old and new problems.

In Bac Ninh, Catholics survived for decades without priests who had fled communism. But lay people kept prayer alive. Today efforts are under way to transmit its value and importance to youth through an original initiative.

On the eve of joining the World Trade Organisation, Vietnam lacks a true social policy. In joining it runs the risk that the gap between rich and poor might deepen. It faces the serious problem of child exploitation and how to protect their rights.