Vietnam’s Catholic bishops have called on Church communicators to strengthen collaboration, digital readiness, and faith-driven commitment as they face the challenges of an evolving media landscape.
The appeal came during the Media Gathering 2025, organized by the Commission for Social Communications (CSC) of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Vietnam (CBCV) at the Pastoral Center of the Archdiocese of Saigon.
The event brought together Bishop Joseph Nguyễn Tấn Tước, outgoing CSC chairman; Bishop Dominic Nguyễn Tuấn Anh, the new chairman; along with 31 priests, one seminarian, and one nun serving in diocesan media ministries nationwide.
Faith at the heart of communication
Opening the gathering, Bishop Dominic Nguyễn Tuấn Anh reminded participants that faith must remain central to the Church’s media work. Citing St. Paul, he said, “All things work for good to those who love God,” adding that the phrase includes “unfortunate events, failures, and losses”—a message he described as “an immense challenge, especially for those working in media.”
He recalled the witness of the late Cardinal François-Xavier Nguyễn Văn Thuận, who, even in prison, realized that “God is greater than all His works.” What appeared as failure, the bishop said, “became a source of inspiration for the world” through the cardinal’s writings in The Road of Hope.
“The Church’s communication ministry only bears true fruit when it flows from love for God and the Church,” Bishop Dominic said. “That love transforms hardship into opportunity and the ‘crooked lines’ of trial into the ‘straight lines’ of divine grace.”
Dialogue and digital transformation
The gathering also marked a leadership transition, with participants expressing gratitude to Bishop Joseph Nguyễn Tấn Tước for his years of service and welcoming Bishop Dominic to the post.
Sessions explored how the Church could harness technology for evangelization. Presentations included “Methods for Studying Target Audiences in Evangelization” by Antoine Phan Quang Thịnh, “Digital Transformation in Church Life” by Fr. Paul Hoàng Mạnh Huy and Fr. Joseph Nguyễn Xuân Dương, and “Networking and Crisis Management” by Fr. Peter Huỳnh Thế Vinh.
On the second day, Fr. Joseph Vũ Hữu Hiền, CSC secretary general, urged communicators to keep alive “the joy of the Gospel and the fire of love,” rooted in the conviction that “nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.”
New directions for the Church’s voice
The two-day assembly concluded with the approval of the Final Resolution of the Media Gathering 2025, setting pastoral priorities for training, collaboration, and professionalization in Catholic communications.
Participants left “rekindled with zeal,” confident that the Church’s voice in Vietnam can meet the challenges of a fast-changing digital age with faith, competence, and unity.
