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Archdiocese of Ho Chi Minh City

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Metropolitan Archdiocese of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Archidioecesis Metropolitanae Hochiminhopolitana (-Saigonensis)
Tổng Giáo phận Sài Gòn (Thành Phố Hồ Chí Minh)
Archidiocèse Métropolitain d'Sài Gòn (Hô-Chi-Minh-Ville)
Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Sài Gòn
Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Sài Gòn
Location
Country Vietnam
Ecclesiastical province Saigon
Metropolitan Southwest Ho Chi Minh City
Deaneries 14
Coordinates 10°46′48″N 106°41′56″E / 10.7799°N 106.6990°E
Statistics
Area 2,093 km2 (808 sq mi)
Population
Total
Catholics 		(as of 2022)
8,465,401
722,098 (8.5%)
Parishes 203
Information
Denomination Catholic Church
Sui iuris church Latin Church
Rite Roman Rite
Cathedral Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception
Patron saint Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception
Secular priests 379
Current leadership
Pope Leo XIV
Metropolitan Archbishop Joseph Nguyễn Năng
Suffragans Diocese of Bà Rịa
Diocese of Cần Thơ
Diocese of Đà Lạt
Diocese of Long Xuyên
Diocese of Mỹ Tho
Diocese of Phan Thiết
Diocese of Phú Cường
Diocese of Vĩnh Long
Diocese of Xuân Lộc
Auxiliary Bishops Joseph Bùi Công Trác
John Baptist Nguyễn Quang Tuyến
Map
Website
tgpsaigon.net

Archdiocese of Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnamese: Tổng giáo phận Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, Latin: Archidioecesis Hochiminhopolitana) is a Catholic ecclesiastical territory in the south of Vietnam. By far the largest diocese in the country by population and second in the number of Catholics, yet like most big cities, it covers a relatively small area of 2,390 km2 (920 sq mi).

The Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (Vương cung thánh đường Chính tòa Đức Mẹ Vô nhiễm Nguyên tội) in Ho Chi Minh City has been assigned as the cathedral of the archdiocese.[1] There are also popular and historic churches such as Saint Francis Xavier Church, Saint Jeanne d'Arc Church, Saint Joseph Church, Sacred Heart Church, Saint Philip Church, and Tân Định Church.

By 2004, the archdiocese had about 602,478 believers (11.0% of the population), 519 priests and 195 parishes.[2]

The archdiocese is a "sister" diocese of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles (United States) since 2008.[3]

The archdiocese ministers often take part in international exchanges and contacts, though with special permission of the Vietnamese authorities.

The young Catholics from the Archdiocese of Ho Chi Minh City and Archdiocese of Hanoi formed in 2006 an organization for helping children in rural and underdeveloped areas of Vietnam.[4] The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Ho Chi Minh City regularly organizes special mass events including the Youth Day in December 2007, which was attended by more than 7 000 young people, who take part in volunteer and charitable activities,[5] and two prayer vigils "God is rich in compassion" in March 2008 with the participation of several thousand faithful.[6]

There is a center of social work organized by the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Ho Chi Minh City, which consists of priests, laypeople, and members of civil groups. The center is occupied with three main problems: helping street children, activities to reduce HIV/AIDS level, helping its victims, and social and psychological work with prostitutes to get them off the streets.[7]

The ecclesiastical province of Sài Gòn contains the following suffragan dioceses in south Vietnam:

Name

Since its establishment in 1844, this archdiocese has gone through various names: Vicariate Apostolic of West Tonkin (1844–1924), Vicariate Apostolic of Saigon (1924–1960), and then the Archdiocese of Saigon (from 1960). Nowadays, this archdiocese is called the Archdiocese of Ho Chi Minh City, after the administrative name of the city, and in its communications, the Vatican uses this name.

In reality, the name Archdiocese of Saigon is still used in the documents of the Catholic Church in Vietnam. Additionally, sometimes the name used is the Archdiocese of Saigon – Ho Chi Minh City.

Cathedral

The Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Sài Gòn (Vương cung thánh đường Chính tòa Đức Mẹ Vô nhiễm Nguyên tội, or more commonly Nhà thờ Đức Bà Sài Gòn) in Ho Chi Minh City is considered to be one of the main city attractions and one of the most beautiful buildings in all of Vietnam. It was built from 1877 to 1880 by the French architect J. Bourad, has a Neo-Romanesque façade with twin towers and a statue of the Virgin Mary in the center front.[8]

Bishops

Vicars Apostolic of Western Cochin

Ordinaries Period in office Status Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic Reference
1 Bishop Dominique Lefèbvre, M.E.P. March 02, 1844 – August 28, 1864 Retired Bishop Jean-Claude Miche, M.E.P. March 11, 1844 – September 09, 1864 [9]
2 Bishop Jean-Claude Miche, M.E.P. September 09, 1864 – December 01, 1873 Died in office Bishop Isidore-François-Joseph Colombert, M.E.P. February 06, 1872 – December 01, 1872
3 Bishop Isidore-François-Joseph Colombert, M.E.P. December 01, 1873 – December 31, 1894 Vacant
4 Bishop Jean-Marie Dépierre, M.E.P. April 12, 1895 – October 17, 1898
5 Bishop Lucien-Emile Mossard, M.E.P. February 11, 1899 – February 11, 1920 Bishop Victor-Charles Quinton, M.E.P. February 12, 1912 – February 11, 1920
6 Bishop Victor-Charles Quinton, M.E.P. February 11, 1920 – October 04, 1924 Vacant

Vicars Apostolic of Sài Gòn

Ordinaries Period in office Status Reference
1 Bishop Isidore-Marie-Joseph Dumortier, M.E.P. December 17, 1925 – February 16, 1940 Died in office [10]
2 Bishop Jean Cassaigne, M.E.P. March 20, 1941 – September 20, 1955 Retired
3 Bishop Simon Hoà Nguyễn Văn Hiền September 20, 1955 – November 24, 1960 Transferred to Diocese of Đà Lat.

Archbishops of Ho Chi Minh City

Archbishops Coat of Arms Period in office Status Reference
Metropolitan Archbishop of Saigon
1 Paul Nguyễn Văn Bình November 24, 1960 – November 23, 1976 Title change with the change of the name of the archdiocese. [11]
Metropolitan Archbishops of Thành-Phô Hô Chí Minh
1 Paul Nguyễn Văn Bình November 23, 1976 – July 01, 1995 Died in office [12]
– Bishop Nicolas Huỳnh Văn Nghi 1993 – March 01, 1998 Apostolic Administrator
2 Cardinal Jean-Baptiste Phạm Minh Mẫn March 01, 1998 – March 22, 2014 Retired
3 Paul Bùi Văn Đọc March 22, 2014 – March 06, 2018 Died in Office
4 Joseph Nguyễn Năng October 19, 2019 – present Current Archbishop

Auxiliary Bishops

Coadjutor Archbishops

Other secular clergy who became bishops

See also

Canonical status and jurisdiction

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Ho Chi Minh city is a metropolitan archdiocese of the Catholic Church.[13]

References

  1. Back to citation GCatholic.org
  2. Back to citation Catholic Hierarchy Directory
  3. Back to citation LA Times, August 2008
  4. Back to citation "Catholic youth accompany abandoned children", May 2006, in Asia News
  5. Back to citation "More than 7,000 young people take part in Saigon diocese's Youth day", Asia News on Vietnam, December 2007
  6. Back to citation "More than 7 thousand faithful gather to reflect on God's compassion", Asia News, March 2008
  7. Back to citation "Ho Chi Minh City, Catholics at work against AIDS and prostitution", Asia News, February 2008
  8. Back to citation Images of Notre Dame Cathedral, by Mary Ann Sullivan, Bluffton University
  9. Back to citation "Metropolitan Archdiocese of Thành-Phô Hô Chí Minh Bishops". gcatholic.
  10. Back to citation "Metropolitan Archdiocese of Thành-Phô Hô Chí Minh Bishops". gcatholic.
  11. Back to citation "Metropolitan Archdiocese of Thành-Phô Hô Chí Minh Bishops". gcatholic.
  12. Back to citation "Metropolitan Archdiocese of Thành-Phô Hô Chí Minh Bishops". gcatholic.
  13. Back to citation Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Ho Chi Minh city, official website
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