After learning of the General Secretary's passing on 22 July, Francis sent condolences to Vietnam's president and spoke of Trong's major contribution to the diplomatic process.

The Pope's message expressed his gratitude for Trong's fostering, promoting and developing of relations between Vietnam and the Holy See.

As the country's general secretary from 2011 until his death, Trong set the general direction of Vietnam's policies. He also served as president from 2018 to 2021.

"Pope Francis willingly sends the pledge of his spiritual closeness to your Excellency and all your fellow citizens at this time of sorrow for the nation" wrote Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin on Francis' behalf.

Full diplomatic relations

The improvement in the Vatican-Vietnam relationship has been coming for a long time.

It began in 2007, with Pope Benedict XVI seeking to establish full diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the Vatican. Francis has continued to foster this objective.

Last July, Francis wrote to Vietnam's Catholics for the first time after reaching a landmark pact with the country's communist rulers.

The pact allowed a papal representative to reside in Vietnam and open an office in Hanoi for the first time since the communist government severed ties with the Vatican in 1975.

Ending historical conflict of ideologies

The Pope's letter "formally abolished and definitively ended the historical conflict of ideologies" said Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Vu Chien Thang last July at a Government Committee for Religious Affairs workshop.

The workshop discussed the letter's implications and sought ways to enhance bilateral ties. It also discussed strategies for greater Catholic engagement in education, healthcare and social welfare initiatives.

This development marks "a significant milestone in Vietnam-Vatican relations after nearly a century of strained ties due to ideological conflicts" said Bishop Joseph Do Manh Hung, secretary-general of Vietnam's Catholic Bishops' Conference.

He is sure both sides will find common ground to benefit the Vietnamese people and the Vatican.

"The papal letter represents a crucial historical moment with profound implications for the local Church, encouraging local communities to continue accompanying the nation."

It is a substantial achievement, reflecting Vietnam's commitment to safeguarding religious freedom for its citizens.

Thang is quoted as saying "This marks mutual recognition - the Communist Party of Vietnam acknowledges the Vatican as a friend and partner, while the Vatican acknowledges the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam as cooperative partners, without posing threats to the Catholic Church and the Vatican State".

Vietnam's 7.2 million Catholics are an essential and inseparable part of the nation, he pointed out.

They work alongside other religious and non-religious communities to build the country and significantly contribute to Vietnam's social welfare, charity, healthcare and education.

Papal visit likely

After Pope Francis met with then-President Vo Van Thuong at the Vatican in 2023, Thuong officially invited him to visit Vietnam.

Francis told reporters if he does not go, his successor "certainly will!"

Source

• UCA News
• UCA News

Both sources, a senior Vatican official and a Hanoi-based diplomat, say they think the deal's formal announcement will take place later this month when President Võ Văn Thưởng visits the Vatican.

"We are hoping that this will mark a turning point," the Vatican official says.

It's been a decade since the Holy See asked Hanoi to permit a papal representative to live in Vietnam. An agreement in principle was reached last year.

Both the Vatican official and the Hanoi diplomat say they expect that Pope Francis will receive Võ. The last time Pope Francis received a Vietnamese president was when Tran Đại Quang visited in 2016.

There are nearly seven million Catholics in Vietnam. They make up just 6.6 percent of the 95 million population.

Vietnam's relations with the Vatican broke off after the communists took over at the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. The communist authorities considered the Catholic Church had been too close to Vietnam's former colonial power, France.

Today, Vietnam's papal nuncio Archbishop Marek Zalewski is based in Singapore. He makes occasional working visits to Vietnam with government approval.

UCA, an independent Catholic news agency, says Vietnam's government places controls on some Catholic activities, such as the number of parishes.

Future focus

Vietnam's constitution allows for freedom of religion.

Government media have rejected criticisms about this from groups such as the US Commission on International Religious Freedom. The Commission has added Vietnam to its list of "countries of particular concern".

The establishment of a resident representative from the Holy See with Hanoi's approval could lead to full diplomatic relations developing between the Vatican and Vietnam. Exactly when to expect that is unknown - though the current deal has been in the making since 2009.

At present the Vatican has diplomatic relations with about 180 countries.

Source

• US News

This is despite facing government restrictions on religious activities.

These people have begun returning, seeking solace and reconnecting with their religious roots.

Over the past decade, Vietnam has experienced a decline in religious practice, with a significant number of Catholics choosing to distance themselves from the Church.

Reasons for this departure range from a shift towards secularism and economic pursuits to government pressures and the complexities of modern life.

However, in recent months, UCANews reports there has been a notable shift.

"For years, I was caught up in the demands of my career and the fast-paced nature of modern life. But deep inside, I always felt something missing.

"The pandemic and its uncertainties made me realise the importance of finding inner peace. Returning to my faith has provided that solace I longed for," said Mai Nguyen.

While eager to rekindle their spiritual connection, these resurgent Catholics face numerous obstacles due to government restrictions on religious practices.

The Vietnamese government, which strictly regulates religious organisations, maintains control over the appointment of bishops and clergy, often leading to tensions with the Vatican.

Religious gatherings outside of officially sanctioned churches remain a contentious issue, with authorities frequently clamping down on unauthorised events.

Despite this, people s are finding creative ways to navigate these restrictions, organising discreet prayer meetings in private homes or small-scale gatherings in secluded locations.

Nguyen Van Minh, a Catholic priest, acknowledges the challenges faced by Catholics.

"We understand their yearning for spiritual nourishment, and we do our best to provide support within the limitations set by the authorities.

"It's a delicate balance, but we are committed to fostering their spiritual growth while respecting the laws of the land."

UCANews reports that despite the government's tight grip on religious affairs, Vietnam is witnessing a gradual renaissance of religious practices across various faiths as people seek solace and meaning in their lives.

Observers argue the resurgence may be attributed to the country's rapid socio-economic development, which has led some individuals to re-evaluate their priorities and search for deeper meaning beyond materialistic pursuits.

As the spiritual reawakening gains momentum, the Vietnamese government faces the challenge of balancing its desire for social stability with the rights of individuals to freely practise their faith.

In the meantime, Catholics in Vietnam are stepping out of the shadows, reclaiming their religious identity and reaffirming their commitment to the faith.

Source

• UCA News

The way Catholics live out their faith is what's important, he says. They should trust in God, who always loves and blesses them. They should also try to bring divine love to people around them.

"We should try our best to promote charity work and give witness to the faith in our daily lives," he explained during a pastoral visit to four tiny parishes last week.

"Evangelisation does not mean to do major things but to live a good and simple life."

Build happy families, offer faith education to children, be honest in your livelihood, stay clear of drug abuse and treat drug abusers with love and respect.

Thien is the first archbishop to have visited one of the sub-parishes for a century or more. Welcomed with drums and trumpets, the 160-member Catholic community swelled so much that Thien had to celebrate an open-air Mass: the church was too small to accommodate the hundreds of visitors.

He praised the local people for properly maintaining their faith during decades of hard times and for producing a priest. This is despite hardships such as when their part of Vietnam was under communist control, the land reform system, religious restrictions and the Vietnam War were the order of the day.

"We come here to profess the faith and I am here to encourage all of you to be brave in your life of faith," he said.

Thien's pastoral visits are part of this year's archdiocese-wide programme for "year of evangelisation".

Other plans include introducing the Legion of Mary at parishes. Thien is calling on all parishes to have the Marian association do evangelisation work.

Hanoi Archdiocese, serves 330,000 Catholics out of a population of 10 million.

Source

• UCA News

The Vietnamese Martyrs Church is the state's only all-Vietnamese Catholic parish.

Last Sunday hundreds gathered for celebrations at the church, filling a building that has always been a place for much more than worship.

"Our culture, our language, our families, our food and our faith all revolve around the Vietnamese Martyrs Church," Andrew Bui, president of the parish council said during the celebratory service.

The congregation also honored the 96 Vietnamese Catholics and 21 European missionaries, who as the "Vietnamese martyrs", collectively serve as the church's patron saint.

Despite Vietnam's ruling Communist Party opposing the martyrs' beatification, Pope John Paul II canonized all 117 martyrs in 1988.

Their collective feast day is on 24 November.

The martyrs represent at least 130,000 Vietnamese killed because of their faith across centuries and dynasties.

Although religious freedom is technically enshrined in Vietnam's laws, Catholics say they still face government persecution.

During the service, congregation members carried a box containing relics of about 30 of the Vietnamese Martyrs on a flower-covered pallet to the altar. The church now has relics of about 50 of the saints, Bui says.

"We have papers and the seal from the Vatican certifying that these are the real relics, it's not chicken bones."

Biloxi Diocese Bishop Louis F. Kihneman III delivered the homily at last Sunday's Vietnamese Catholic community celebrations.

He spoke in English, pausing every few sentences so that another priest could deliver the Vietnamese translation.

All attendees wore face masks, including some emblazoned with the words "Vietnamese Martyrs Church." Others sported masks in the colors of the flag of South Vietnam.

A post-service celebratory lunch was served outside.

On Aug. 21, Lai Chau provincial authorities announced that they had officially allowed Hung Hoa Diocese to establish Lai Chau Parish based in San Thang commune in Lai Chau city. The parish's chapel is now based at the house of Nguyen Van Le, a layman.

Authorities permitted Father Joseph Nguyen Van Ninh, 49, to offer pastoral care to 2,791 Catholics from communities who are allowed to gather for prayer. Read more

The People's Court in Lam Dong province on July 7 sentenced Nguyen Quoc Duc Vuong, 29, to eight years in jail and three years' probation for "making, hoarding and disseminating anti-state propaganda."

The blogger from Don Duong district was arrested in September last year.

According to a four-page indictment, Vuong had posted and spread 98 video clips and 366 articles against the government on Facebook. Read more

The Jesuits are credited with systematizing the country's official language.

Since October, authorities in Da Nang have collected public opinions about a plan to name 137 streets in the southern central city by the end of this year.

Two streets in Hai Chau district are due to be named after Fathers Francisco de Pina (1585-1625) and Alexandre de Rhodes (1591-1660).

Da Nang officials said the two missionaries played significant roles in the formation of the present Vietnamese script.

"The founding of the modern Vietnamese romanized script has boosted Vietnamese culture incredibly. Their names were suggested by historians and cultural researchers," the city's department of culture and sports said.

However, in late October, 12 historians, professors and researchers petitioned Da Nang authorities not to name schools and streets after the Jesuits.

They said Father Rhodes did not create quoc ngu and accused him of using it for evangelisation, condemning the religions of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism, and hatching a plot to lead French troops to invade Vietnam.

Prof. Hoang Dung from the Pedagogical University in Ho Chi Minh City said most researchers agreed that quoc ngu was not a product of Father Rhodes, who amassed works from other people, but they appreciated his contributions to the national language's development, especially his trilingual dictionary.

Many intellectuals who supported the street-naming plan said the 12 petitioners misunderstood the meaning of the word "soldats" (soldiers) in Father Rhodes' work Divers Voyages et Missions published in 1653.

The supportive intellectuals also said the petitioners made groundless allegations that Father Rhodes was involved in the French invasion of Vietnam.

They said foreign missionaries and local Catholics made great contributions to taking Vietnam to the world and appreciating Western cultural values and are calling on Da Nang authorities to name streets after the priests to express the nation's gratitude to foreign missionaries who contributed to the creation of quoc ngu.

Portuguese Father de Pina, a pioneer in learning and researching Vietnamese after he arrived in southern Vietnam in 1617, romanized Vietnamese writing system and composed a Vietnamese grammar book.

He also used the native language to teach catechism to local people and wrote a catechism book.

French Father Rhodes, who arrived in Vietnam in 1625 and studied Vietnamese with Father de Pina, gathered quoc ngu works by other authors and published three books in Rome in 1651: a Vietnamese-Portuguese-Latin dictionary, a Vietnamese grammar book and a catechism book.

His works marked the first time a Latin-alphabet Vietnamese writing system was presented in a categorized way. He was expelled from Vietnam in 1645.

Source

• ucanews.org Republished with permission

The Hung Hoa Diocesan Communication Committee and Yen Bai Deanery held the first ever course on communication skills Sept. 19 and 20. The 24 attendees, mostly in their 20s to 40s, came from 20 parishes based in Yen Bai Province.

During the course at An Thinh Church, Nghia Yen District, they were taught how to write online reports on church activities in their areas for the diocesan website (www.giaophanhunghoa.org) in the future.

They also learned how to use their smartphones to take quality pictures to accompany their reports and received special classes in communicating Catholic spirituality.

Father Joseph Tran Quy Tuan, head of the committee, said the media play a major role in spreading news rapidly in society. "We should share church news with one another and have communion with other people," he said. Read more

A resident papal representative is considered an intermediary step in diplomatic relations, below an apostolic nuncio.

The Holy See and Vietnam have never had full diplomatic relations, but have been engaged in formal bilateral discussions since 2009. The Aug. 21-22 summit was the eighth meeting of the working group, which had previously met in Hanoi in December 2018. Read more

On June 19, Father Joseph Nguyễn Duy Tân, pastor of Thọ Hòa parish in Đồng Nai province, came to the police detention centre of Biên Hòa, 30km North of Sàigòn, to demand the immediate release of a laywoman who had gone missing 10 days previously.

The last time Phạm Ngọc Hạnh, a mother of five, was seen in public was on June 10 when she participated in a peaceful protest at Đồng Nai's central park.

Footage of the protest posted on social media networks shows Hạnh being beaten and dragged on the street by a group of plain-clothed men.

She has remained incommunicado since.

The priest accused police of violently attacking and arbitrarily detaining a peaceful woman who just wanted to express legally her opposition to the new cybersecurity law and new special administrative-economic units that for many represent a sell-out to China.

Tân's protest was not successful and has attracted criticism from state-run news outlets.

"It's a beautiful image of a brave shepherd who dares to care for his flock amidst one the most difficult moments in the history of the nation," said Fr Paul Van Chi Chu, spokesperson of The Federation of Vietnamese Catholic Mass Media.

Tân, 50, has also been a victim of repression.

Two weeks earlier, he was stopped at Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport by public security officers when he was going to board a plane to Malaysia with 24 other priests of Xuân Lộc Diocese.

He was told the Public Security Department of Đồng Nai province had requested that he be forbidden to travel abroad.

Source

• vietcatholic.org
• asianews.it
• Image: asianews.it

The St Paul de Chartres sisters in Vietnam's capital, Hanoi, tried to stop workers getting onto the site.

Witnesses say gangsters working for the builders beat one nun unconscious.

They say building workers had moved their equipment onto the site overnight.

They say the builder's gangsters insulted the nuns, then began to assault them and finally struck them with batons.

Witnesses accused police of standing by and doing nothing to prevent the attack.

The sisters claim that their congregation had taken legal ownership of the plot in 1949.

It is 200 square metres in area.

After 1954, when communists controlled northern Vietnam, the government rented a novitiate building on the site for an institute of microbiology.

Authorities later divided the site and sold it to other people.

Over the years, the nuns have many times asked the government to return the land.

Developer moves in

In 2016, a Hanoi builder hired workers to build a house on the land.

She had told the nuns that local authorities had granted her a building permit and a certificate to use the land.

The government ordered a stop to work after the nuns petitioned them.

After the attack, the nuns again petitioned local authorities but have so far seen no action or a stop made to building.

Spokeswoman, Sister Quynh, says officials refused to make any decision on the nuns' demand.

Furthermore, she says they will continue marching to government bodies to ask them to deal with the illegal construction.

Vietnam-based Association to Protect Religious Freedom supports the nun's attempts to regain ownership of their site.

It says that it "strongly condemns violent actions against the nuns and calls on authorities to probe the attack."

The association has a wider brief to protect religious freedom in Vietnam.

Source:

• UCA News
• Image UCA News

The Communist government, which controls religions, gave permission for the rally.

Over 10,000 people went to it.

U.S. evangelist preacher Reverend Franklin Graham said the government only gave permission for the event in the week leading up to it.

But some 8,000 miles away in South Vietnam it marked the start of an epic 11 day battle known as Operation SWIFT.

Today it is primarily remembered by military history buffs, as well as those who honor the memory of a Navy chaplain who lost his life after 30 minutes of battle, Fr. Vincent Capodanno, MM.

But what Father did during those 30 minutes not only earned him the Medal of Honor, it has propelled his beatification cause.

From Staten Island to South Vietnam

Born February 13, 1929, Capodanno grew up on Staten Island, New York, the youngest of nine children born to a Brooklyn-born mother of Italian ancestry and a father who immigrated to New York from Gaeta, Italy.

According to his last surviving sister Gloria Holman, the home was a happy one, and "Vin" or "Junior" "was serious, his personality, more so than not, you know?"

His cousin Al Lambert remembers Junior, like his mother, had a fantastic sense of humor, and when he laughed, his whole body shook. He also says he was very fastidious.

Capodanno heard his calling to the priesthood at age 18 and entered the Maryknoll Missionary Seminary at 20.

On June 14, 1958, he received holy orders at the hands of New York's Francis Cardinal Spellman.

His superiors first posted him amongst the aboriginal tribesman in Taiwan's mountains.

Then they stationed him at the order's school in Hong Kong. The new assignment did not thrill him, but he went without protest.

By this time the Vietnam War had begun, and so Capodanno asked for and received permission to enter the Navy chaplaincy corps. Continue reading

Sources

• The Catholic World Report article by Brian O'Neel, who writes from Wisconsin.
• Image: Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund

Wearing red T-shirts with yellow stars and waving national flags, the gangs have been attacking Catholics and their property since the beginning of June.

"The primary motivation behind the incidents is to pressurise local Catholics and the deanery into boycotting and expelling the two priests from Quynh Luu district," a petition 11 priests have sent to the Government about the attacks says.

The petition goes on to say the Government is seeking to "conceal the truth about the marine catastrophe caused by Formosa and preventing the people's fight against the steel plant."

Furthermore, the priests say they think the police are looking the other way instead of helping the victims.

"We see that the attacks have been carried out in an orchestrated manner, and the police know well what is occurring, but are ignoring what is going on."

Reports about the violence say the gang members ride motorcycles at top speed past police and attack at night, throwing stones at churches and Catholic homes.

So far two people have been severely injured.

The gangs, who are said to be supporters of the Communist Party and criminals from outside the area, have also been going into Catholic businesses and intimidating the owners.

In addition, they have put up banners and collected signatures from locals calling for the expulsion of two priests who helped local fishermen sue the Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corp for compensation last year.

Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corp had caused a marine pollution disaster, spilling toxic waste, including phenol and cyanide, along a 125-mile stretch of Vietnam's coastline. Hundreds of tonnes of fish died as a result.

Source

• National Catholic Reporter
• Catholic Herald
• www.catholic.org
• Image: New York Times

Police attacked protesters who were demanding an explanation for the detention of environmentalist Hoang Duc Binh earlier this month, said a priest at the scene.

He said the police told the crowd Binh had been moved to another facility.

The beatings happened after some priests who were at the protest and feared violence would erupt, asked the crowd to disperse.

"But after that, scores of police rushed the crowd to brutalize those who remained." Read more

Francis declared Francois Xavier "Venerable" last Thursday.

Francois Xavier's story of imprisonment, much of which was spent in solitary confinement, has made him an inspirational leader to Vietnamese Catholics.

Appointed coadjutor archbishop of Saigon six days before the city fell to the North Vietnamese army in 1975, Francois Xavier was jailed in a "re-education" camp for 13 years.

He viewed his imprisonment as an opportunity to come closer to God.

In this way Francois Xavier was able to help others, by passing on his sense of hope to them.

Although communicating with others was difficult, he took St Paul's example and wrote letters to Christian communities.

Despite being in a series of camps where he was expected to be "re-educated", Francois Xavier managed to ordain priests and distribute Communion to Catholic prisoners.

He also converted Buddhists and atheists and took the opportunity to evangelise his guards.

He was so good at evangelising them, the prison had to keep changing them.

Among other writings, Francois Xavier wrote the following "10 Rules of Life":

• "I will live the present moment to the fullest."
• "I will discern between God and God's works."
• "I will hold firmly to one secret: prayer."
• "I will see in the holy Eucharist my only power."
• "I will have only one wisdom: the science of the cross."
• "I will remain faithful to my mission in the Church and for the Church as a witness of Jesus Christ."
• "I will seek the peace the world cannot give."
• "I will carry out a revolution by renewal in the Holy Spirit."
• "I will speak one language and wear one uniform: charity."
• "I will have one very special love: the Blessed Virgin Mary."

Source:

• National Catholic Register
• The Hawk Eye
• The Washington Post
• Image: It's the Women, not the Men

On April 6, dead fish began washing ashore along 200 kilometres of the coastal provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien Hue.

Nearly three months later, authorities announced that toxic waste, including phenol and cyanide, from a Taiwanese-built steel plant, a unit of Formosa Plastics, poisoned the waters.

A drainage pipe connected to the facility based in Ha Tinh province allegedly discharged 10,240 cubic metres of toxic waste into the sea each day, it is alleged.

A government minister said the company agreed to pay US$500 million in recompense for damages it caused to the people and the environment.

Officials put the loss to fishers in the four provinces at 76,000 tons of seafood due to the marine pollution.

One fisher, Michael Vo Van Hong, who has lost his livelihood, predicted it would take at least three years for the seas to recover.

Since May, fishers and salt workers affected by the marine pollution have been given 15 kilograms of rice a month by the government.

Fr Anthony Nguyen Ngoc Ha, head of Caritas in the Hue archdiocese, said that 20 parishes have been badly affected by the marine pollution. Some of them are lacking basic food.

"We have offered money and five tonnes of rice to affected fishing communities regardless of their backgrounds," Fr Ha said.

"We will continue to collect donations from benefactors and give to the victims until they can fish again."

He said Caritas plans to conduct courses in vocational skills for local people needing to change how they make a living.

On June 20, a group of American volunteers led by Sister of Mercy Anna Nguyen Thi Hang visited and donated rice, instant noodles and money to 300 households in Phu Hai commune.

"We want to share something with you as our deep communion with you. We will continue to make donations to help you in the future," Sr Hang told beneficiaries.

Sources

• National Catholic Reporter
• Image: National Catholic Reporter

Catholic Church officials announced that Fr Thadeus Nguyen Van Ly was released from jail on Friday morning, AFP reported.

President Obama started a three-day visit to Vietnam on Monday.

"Thadeus Nguyen Van Ly has returned to the mother diocese on Friday morning after his years and months in (northern) Nam Ha jail," Hue archdiocese announced.

The archdiocese's website ran several photos of the ageing priest, dressed in a loose white shirt and baseball cap, being welcomed by church members.

Neither church nor government officials were immediately available for comment.

Fr Ly, who is in his early 70s, is often compared to Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi.

Both are veteran dissidents who have spent years in pursuit of greater democratic freedoms.

Fr Ly was jailed three times for a total of 14 years before his fourth and latest imprisonment in March 2007.

This came after he was charged for spreading propaganda against the communist state.

He had been accused of helping to found "Bloc 8406", considered one of the Vietnam's first organised pro-democracy coalitions.

He gained prominence with his anti-government actions, including hunger strikes and several widely circulated missives calling for a multi-party system.

Fr Ly was briefly released from jail in March 2010 to seek treatment for a brain tumour and was placed under house arrest.

He was returned to jail more than a year later, sparking calls from the United States and international rights groups for his release.

Priorities for President Obama's visit to Vietnam are believed to be trade, security and human rights issues.

Several political prisoners remain in jail in Vietnam.

Sources

• AFP
• ABC News
• Image: (Catholic Archdiocese of Hue via AP)

Bishop Vincent Long Van Nguyen, 54, begins his new role after serving as a Conventual Franciscan since 1989 and as auxiliary Bishop of Melbourne since 2011.

Parramatta, in western Sydney, is one of the largest Catholic dioceses in Australia and is a favourite destination for new migrants.

"Coming to Australia by boat as a refugee from Vietnam, I found myself a newcomer in Melbourne. I now consider myself a newcomer to the diocese of Parramatta," Bishop Long said.

"My appointment is not just about me or an individual honour, but it's an affirmation and recognition on the part of the universal Church of the gifts and contributions that migrants and refugees can make to the Church and also to society," Bishop Long said.

"It has a strong and relevant message to the nation at this point in time as we tend to be a bit less welcoming to people who arrive by boat."

Bishop Long initially felt a calling to the priesthood as a teenager and he studied in a seminary near Saigon.

In 1975, Vietnam's new rulers started closing religious training colleges and Bishop Long followed two older brothers and fled overseas.

He escaped on a 17-metre boat jam-packed with 147 refugees.

"Our boat journey was risky. There were more people on board than the boat could carry safely. By the third day, we had run out of food, water and fuel. From then on, we were at the mercy of the elements. On the seventh day, we drifted near an oil rig, half alive and half dead," he said in an interview with the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference in 2015.

The bishop and the family members he travelled with were rescued and settled in a refugee camp in Malaysia, where he stayed for 16 months.

During his time in the camp, he taught himself English.

He was accepted to go to Australia in 1981.

Sources

• Catholic News Service
• Sydney Morning Herald
• Image: Catholic Herald