HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam (UCAN) -- The Catholic Church leader here has asked his flock to be faithful to God, to express filial affection to their parents and to be kind to others in the new lunar year.

Before the Tet, or Vietnamese New Year, festival Feb 7-9, Cardinal Jean Baptiste Pham Minh Man of Ho Chi Minh City addressed his Message for the Year of the Rat to all clergy, lay Catholics and Religious in his archdiocese.

The February issue of Sunday Homily, the archdiocese's monthly magazine, carries his message on its first page.

"I wish that each of you, especially youths, always remain loyal in worshipping God, Father of Heaven, in whatever circumstances," the cardinal wrote. He says such loyalty helps people open themselves to and receive God's will and words through the Bible, the Blessed Sacrament, the life of the Church and their cultural traditions. The archbishop stresses that God's word is light, strength and love that gives life and leads to happiness, love, peace, truth and wisdom.

The Church leader, 74, also expects local Catholics always to fulfill their filial duties towards their ancestors and parents. Married couples should be faithful to each other, he adds.

Catholics' filial affection and marriage loyalty arise out of deep reverence for and total obedience to God, who offers the gift of marriage for human beings, the Church leader explains. "Those who hold their parents in deep respect and reverence, and are faithful to their spouses are blessed with long, peaceful and successful life," he wrote.

Cardinal Man also encourages Catholics to treat one another with generosity and tolerance, rooted in Jesus' love. These give the faithful strength to follow Jesus and bravely bring love into hatred, sympathy into distrust, forgiveness into humiliation, harmony into conflict, truth into deceit and justice into unfairness. Cardinal Man expresses his hope that if local Catholics follow this way, they will bring peace to their families and lasting prosperity to their country.

The cardinal says faithfulness to God, filial affection for parents, loyalty in marriage and generosity to others are the four pillars for building happy families and parishes, a happy Church and a happy nation.

Finally, the Church leader states his wish for the New Year is that many people, especially the underprivileged and abandoned, might experience God's love through loving care by others.

Before the Tet festival, the cardinal always issues his New Year message for local Catholics. Vietnamese people traditionally visit and offer gifts and best wishes to one another during Tet.

The 128-page Sunday Homily includes homilies, Church news, theological reflections, pastoral activities, explanations of Church terms, features on the spirituality of Religious congregations, Catholic poems and plays, and photos of Church events in and outside the country.

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