In Internet age, notice boards still matter

In a country where restrictions are placed on the media by the government, the Church has had to find various ways to communicate with its flock.

In a recent interview, Bishop Pierre Nguyen Van De, head of the Episcopal Commission for Social Communication noted that the government fears that freedom of communication, speech and press would be used to criticize the government.

Most Catholics are also lagging behind in the use of modern communication technologies, especially the Internet, he noted, adding that his commission will launch courses on communication skills for diocesan workers.

The Church in Vietnam has done its best to adapt to the situation it finds itself in. In many places, parish notice boards have become key centers of information for Catholics.

Anna Nguyen Thi Thu spends 30 minutes every weekend in the compound of Hanoi´s Redemptorist-run Thai Ha Church reading reports on Church activities in Vietnam and around the world.

“Such reports not only inform me of Church pastoral activities and guidelines but encourage me to practice my faith bravely and live in communion with other people in other places,” noted Thu.

Originally from Nam Dinh province, south of Hanoi, she says she had no access to Church information in her home village, but now buys CDs of Church news from the parish-run bookstore and sends them to her family.

A woman who works at the Thai Ha parish bookstore reported that the notice board attracts many readers, and people continue to buy Catholic books, statues and images. CDs containing Church information and VCDs on the two recent trials of eight Catholics, charged with social disturbance and damaging public property during a protest in August, 2008, have proven particularly popular.

Seven of the defendants were handed suspended prison sentences ranging from 12 to 17 months, and one was let off with a warning.

In the central city of Hue, church notice boards have once again proved their worth for 18 parishes. These notice boards host information and news from the Internet, helping local Catholics to stay in touch with the wider Catholic community.

At 40 other parishes here, Church news is also read aloud at weekend Masses.

In some places, the Church has taken to the Internet to share its news.

Hue archdiocese has a website (www.tonggiaophanhue.net), a monthly printed bulletin as well as an online one.

Many parishes in Ho Chi Minh City also have their own websites and publish weekly or monthly bulletins to give religious information to Catholics. One of them, Tan Dinh parish reportedly publishes 1,000 copies of the weekly “To Tin Tan Dinh” (Tan Dinh Bulletins) to 5,000 parishioners.

In his letter to Catholics in the archdiocese to mark the World Communications Day, May 24, Cardinal Jean Baptiste Pham Minh Man of Ho Chi Minh invited his Catholics to engage in the local Church´s social communication activities. He also asked them to take part in the archdiocesan Committee for Social Communication he set up in February.

The Church leader noted the committee has duties to develop the archdiocesan website and compile a booklet entitled “Sai Gon Diocese´s 350 Years.” It will also help to organize events to celebrate the 2010 Jubilee Year, marking the 350th anniversary of the establishment of the first two apostolic vicariates in the country and the 50th anniversary of the Vietnamese Church hierarchy.

Earlier, during their April 13-17 meeting, local bishops discussed how to improve Church communications and develop their official website (www.hdgmvietnam.org) to provide Church news to local people.

The website is also linked to the those of the Vatican, the Federation of Asian Bishops´ Conferences and 16 local diocesan sites.

The commissions for Sripture and Family of the Vietnam Bishops´ Conference also have their own websites.