Deputy Chairman of the Steering Committee Le Hung Dung (R) presents a Christmas gift to Pastor Nguyen Le Huu Thuan of the Protestant Church of Vinh Long (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Officials have shared theChristmas joy with Catholics and Protestants nationwide, offering the bestwishes to them on this occasion.
A delegation of the Steering Committee for theSouthwestern Region on December 22 visited the Bishop’s Palace of the Diocese ofVinh Long and the Cathedral, Protestant Church, and the Committee forSolidarity of Vietnamese Catholics in the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long.
Deputy Chairman of the Steering Committee LeHung Dung wished all Catholics and Protestants a merry Christmas and happy newyear, appreciating their contributions to boosting socio-economic development andensuring political security and social order and safety.
He asked Catholic and Protestant dignitaries,pastors, priests and clergymen to continue encouraging followers to be bothgood citizens and followers, actively take part in patriotic emulationmovements and socio-economic activities.
For their part, local dignitaries, priests andclergymen thankedthe Steering Committee and provincial authorities for creatingfavourable conditions for local Catholics and Protestants to practice theirreligions and do economic activities. They promised to encourage followers tocomply with the Party’s guidelines and the State’s policies and laws, therebyhelping with socio-economic development and defence-security maintenance.
In nearby An Giang province, local authorities alsoextended Christmas greetings to Catholics and Protestants in Long Xuyen andChau Doc cities, Tan Chau township, and the districts of Chau Thanh, An Phu, TriTon, Cho Moi, Phu Tan and Thoai Son.
Sending the best wishes to the EvangelicalChurch of An Giang, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee NguyenThanh Binh recognised Protestants’ efforts to solidify the great national unitybloc and develop and protect the nation.
Pastor Cao Van Hoang, on behalf of the Church,appreciated the provincial administration’s attention and pledged to encouragefollowers to abide by law and lead a good religious and secular life.
On December 20, officials of Long An – anotherMekong Delta province – visited and presented gifts to outstanding Catholic andProtestant dignitaries in ThanhHoa, Moc Hoa, Vinh Hung and Tan Thanh districtsand Kien Tuong township.
In Nghe An, authorities of this central provincesent many delegations to localities with big numbers of Catholics, wishing thema merry Christmas season. The provincial chapter of the Ho Chi Minh CommunistYouth Union also offered greetings to secretaries of its sub-chapters who areChristians in Nam Loc commune of Nam Dan district.-VNA
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