Bishop Peter Huynh Van Hai of Vinh Long has urged Catholics to renew their commitment to evangelization, particularly in response to rapid social changes that pose new challenges for the Church.
In his pastoral address, the prelate emphasized the necessity of a mission-focused Church that proactively engages with society’s evolving dynamics.
“Today’s world demands missionary courage, to the tireless proclamation of the Gospel in a context of change and new challenges,” he said, quoting Pope Francis’s apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium.
Highlighting a variety of societal shifts—including changes in family life, media influences, cultural diversity, peace initiatives, and struggles for human rights and environmental protection—the bishop said, “All these areas are in great need of evangelization, of proclaiming the Good News.”
He stressed the Church’s responsibility to maintain its core message while adapting its approach to resonate with contemporary culture.
“Inculturation is a gradual process, the meeting of Christian Theology and Anthropology through which the Christian message is inserted into a specific culture,” he explained. “However, this adaptation does not mean losing its missionary nature, nor does it mean losing the Church’s own flavor, but rather finding new ways to effectively proclaim the Gospel.”
Bishop Huynh also cited historical examples of martyrdom to remind Catholics of the enduring witness required by faith.
He recalled the 1597 martyrdom in Nagasaki, Japan, where twenty-six Christians “were crucified, including missionaries, catechists, interpreters, two doctors and children,” noting that similar persecutions continue today.
Echoing Pope Francis, the bishop appealed for a Church “which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security.”
He encouraged the faithful to embody their missionary calling through authentic acts of faith and charity, particularly toward those marginalized and suffering.
“Through the Sacrament of Baptism, ‘the holy People of God also participate in the prophetic office of Christ, bearing living witness to him above all by a life of faith and charity,'” Bishop Huynh quoted from the Final Document of the Synod of Bishops.
The pastoral letter aligns with the Vietnam Bishops’ Council’s broader guidance on evangelization under the theme “Together to proclaim the Gospel,” encouraging Vietnamese Catholics to adapt evangelization methods to effectively reach a rapidly changing society.
