Vietnam hosted its first beatification ceremony in Catholic history on July 2, 2024 [3], declaring Father Francis Xavier Truong Buu Diep "blessed."

The event marks a significant milestone for the Catholic Church in Vietnam, as it is the first time such a rite has been performed within the country's borders.

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, acting as a papal envoy, presided over the ceremony at the Tac Say Pilgrimage Center in Ca Mau Province, located in the Mekong Delta [1], [2]. The rite honored the martyrdom of Father Truong Buu Diep, who died in 1946 [4], [5] while protecting his parishioners.

Crowds gathered in large numbers for the event. While some reports described the attendance as tens of thousands of Catholics [1], other estimates placed the number at about 70,000 people [2].

Although this was the first beatification ceremony held on Vietnamese soil, the country has a long history of recognized martyrs. Vietnam has had 117 people beatified and later canonized as saints [1].

The ceremony at the Tac Say Pilgrimage Center served as a formal recognition of Father Truong Buu Diep's sacrifice and faith. The beatification process is the penultimate step toward sainthood in the Catholic Church, following the declaration of a person as "venerable," and preceding canonization.

“Vietnam hosted its first beatification ceremony in Catholic history”

This ceremony signals a deepening of the relationship between the Holy See and the Vietnamese government. By allowing a beatification rite to take place domestically rather than in Rome, the state demonstrates a growing tolerance for public Catholic expressions of faith and the veneration of local religious figures.