Notable Religious Events in December 2025:
- The Catholic Church in Việt Nam Gains a New Martyr on the Path to Beatification
- USCIRF Warns: Independent Religious Groups in Việt Nam Remain Under Tight Control
- An Giang Authorities Order Removal of “Pure Hòa Hảo Buddhism” Banners
- Gia Lai: Authorities Deny Song An Religious Community Permission to Hold Services
- Cao Đài Chơn Truyền 1926 Seeks to Mark 100th Anniversary of Its Founding at Tây Ninh Holy See
The Catholic Church in Việt Nam Gains Blessed Martyr
On Dec. 19, 2025, the Diocese of Cần Thơ announced that the Holy See had approved a beatification Mass for Father Francis Xavier Trương Bửu Diệp. This approval means that the Catholic Church in Việt Nam now officially recognizes 117 canonized saints and two Blessed martyrs.
According to the published information, the Mass will be celebrated on July 2, 2026, at the Tắc Sậy Pilgrimage Center (Diocese of Cần Thơ), where he is buried. Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, will preside over the ceremony as the special envoy of Pope Leo XIV.
According to an announcement by the Holy See, Trương Bửu Diệp was born in An Giang in 1897 and ordained a priest in 1924. His pastoral ministry began by serving the Vietnamese Catholic community in Cambodia. He was later reassigned to Việt Nam to teach at the Major Seminary before being sent to Bạc Liêu Province, where he established six new Catholic missions.
Toward the end of World War II, social conditions across Việt Nam became highly unstable, characterized by organized looting and threats. The parish under his care was directly affected, and the rights and safety of local residents were violated.
Although he was advised to flee, he chose to remain with his parishioners. In March 1946, he was taken into custody and held for interrogation. His body was found a few days later, indicating that he had been killed during his imprisonment. Following his death, many faithful began visiting his grave to seek favors, eventually reporting miracles attributed to his intercession.
In November 2025, the Diocese of Cần Thơ announced that two deserting Japanese soldiers were identified as the individuals responsible for his killing. This finding rejected earlier speculation that had linked the incident to the Việt Minh.
“Blessed” is a title conferred by the Roman Catholic Church upon a deceased person recognized as having lived a life of heroic virtue or having died as a martyr. It represents the third step in the canonization process, preceding formal sainthood.
An Giang Authorities Request Removal of “Pure Hòa Hảo Buddhism” Banner
On Dec. 10, 2025, the Pure Hòa Hảo Buddhist Church reported that An Giang Province authorities had requested they not display a banner bearing the name “Pure Hòa Hảo Buddhism.” This incident occurred during preparations for the 106th anniversary of the birth of Founder Huỳnh, observed on the 25th day of the 11th lunar month.
The church rejected the request, maintaining that issuing such prohibitions falls only within the jurisdiction of competent state agencies. According to the group, obstructing religious ceremonies and refusing to allow the term “Pure” in their name are clear signs of infringement upon religious freedom.
Furthermore, the church stated that local authorities have reportedly subjected them to repeated harassment. Because the group lacks an official headquarters, followers have typically borrowed the private home of Nguyễn Văn Vinh in Nhơn Mỹ Commune for major religious observances, only to have authorities disrupt or disperse these activities.
Currently, only the state-recognized Hòa Hảo Buddhist Church is officially permitted to organize major ceremonies at various administrative levels. This stark contrast indicates that the state regards all other independent groups, including the Pure Hòa Hảo Buddhist Church, as operating “illegally.”
Gia Lai Authorities Reject Religious Activities at Song An Pastoral Point
According to the website Tin Mừng Cho Người Nghèo (Good News for the Poor), authorities in Cửu An Commune, Gia Lai Province, issued two separate denials on Dec. 10, 2025, regarding religious activities at the Song An pastoral point. This location belongs to An Khê Parish under the Diocese of Kon Tum.
First, local officials rejected an application from the Kon Tum Bishop’s House to register Song An as a centralized religious meeting point. Subsequently, they refused a request from An Khê Parish to hold Mass at the location, which included weekly Sunday services, Christmas, and other feast days. Authorities justified the rejections in a written response, citing the lack of a unified document confirming the venue and the failure to provide a specific list of the 150 expected participants.
While Tin Mừng Cho Người Nghèo reported that the parish priest, the assistant priest, and several parishioners met directly with local authorities on Dec. 10 and 11, 2025, Luật Khoa has not been able to confirm the outcome of these discussions.
This refusal highlights ongoing concerns regarding the implementation of freedom of belief and religion, as gatherings remain burdened by administrative procedures and can easily be denied on formalistic grounds. Although authorities have generally exerted less direct control over Catholicism than other religions since 1975, the practice of religious rites still faces practical limitations in remote and rural areas.
A similar incident occurred in August 2025, when authorities in Thái Nguyên Province cut off electricity during a Mass at the Thuận Phong pastoral point, which is part of Đại Từ Parish in the Diocese of Bắc Ninh. Local officials later acknowledged that the disruption was an impulsive act by lower-level authorities, demonstrating a lack of dialogue and sensitivity.
Cao Đài Chơn Truyền 1926 Attempts 100th Anniversary Ceremony at Tây Ninh Holy See
According to Boat People SOS (BPSOS), a group of dignitaries and followers from Cao Đài Chơn Truyền 1926 visited the grounds of the Tây Ninh Holy See on Dec. 4, 2025, to mark the 100th anniversary of the religion’s founding. After attempting and failing to meet with the management board for discussions, the group held a brief ceremony lasting less than five minutes in front of the Hạnh Đường building within the compound.
Prior to this event, BPSOS reported that the group had submitted written requests to both Tây Ninh provincial authorities and the state-recognized Cao Đài 1997 branch, which currently administers the site. The group sought official permission to organize the commemorative ceremony on the premises but received no response.
Following the submission of these letters, authorities in Đồng Tháp Province issued summonses to Trần Ngọc Sương and Nguyễn Ngọc Diến between Dec. 13 and 16, 2025. These summonses cited alleged acts of disturbing public order based on complaints originating from Tây Ninh Province. The independent religious group later stated that they reported this incident to a political officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Sài Gòn.
Cao Đài Chơn Truyền 1926 is an independent, unregistered organization that is not subject to the management of the government of Việt Nam, standing in contrast to the state-sanctioned Cao Đài 1997 branch.
Consequently, followers of the independent group reportedly face regular harassment and obstruction when conducting religious activities.
The upcoming year of 2026 represents the 100th anniversary of the Cao Đài religion, serving as an important milestone for the entire faith community. Given this context, numerous dignitaries and followers from independent Cao Đài organizations have expressed a strong desire to observe ceremonies at the Tây Ninh Holy See, which remains the central spiritual headquarters of the religion.
Thiện Trường wrote this Religion Bulletin in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on Jan. 6, 2026. The Vietnamese has the copyrights for its English translation.
