FILE 20220423 131524 Công-Giáo-Final Nhom4 ENG
FILE 20220423 131524 Công-Giáo-Final Nhom4 ENG
FILE 20220423 131524 Công-Giáo-Final Nhom4 ENG
Christianity
The Birth of Christianity
Christianity appeared in the 1st century AD in the eastern provinces of the Roman
Empire with slavery. The Roman Empire waged many cruel wars of aggression, creating
many contradictions and fierce conflicts in social life. That context gave rise to the ideas of
liberation and freedom. In addition, the Middle East is a place contiguous to three
continents, the population here is polytheistic, during the unification of the empire, there has
been a demand for ideological unity, including the need for unity. monotheistic religion, so
Christianity was born based on Judaism that existed in this region
The birth of Christianity is associated with the name of Jesus Christ. He was born in
the early AD, according to legend, Mary miraculously became pregnant and gave birth to
him. Jesus is an intelligent man. Based on the Bible and existing research, we can know a
few points about the life of Jesus as follows:
Jesus is a Jew.
Lived in the early 1st century AD.
About 30 years old, he began to preach and preach for about 3 years.
Acquiring and training 12 people to become Holy Apostles. Peter is the great apostle.
Being hated by the elements of Judaism.
After being found guilty of "treason against Rome", was crucified.
After Jesus died, Christianity was born.
1. Overview of Catholicism
1.1. Worshiper
Catholics worship the Triune God consisting of the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit. Although they are three separate Persons, the same God is the same substance and
authority in the Mystery of the Trinity (United Trinity).
The Bible, according to the church's concept, is " The teachings of God " and is a
collection of 73 books divided into 2 sets of New and Old Testaments. The Bible was
originally transmitted orally among the people. In the 2nd century, it started to be written on
goatskin, from the 4th to 6th centuries, it was written on papyrus, and in the 7th century, it
was written into a book. The Bible is a treasure trove of history and literary classics. The
Bible includes all the views and ideas of the doctrines and creeds of Christianity. This
system of doctrine was formed and supplemented over the centuries.
The Old Testament is the historical and also the bible of Judaism, consisting of 46
books, divided into 3 categories: History books; Poetry books; Book of prophecy. The
content of the Old Testament is about God's creation of the universe and man; On Jewish
heritage, Jewish laws, customs, and cultural traditions; About the Kings and the Jews from
the founding of the nation to its disintegration.
The New Testament consists of 27 books, divided into 4 categories: the Gospels (also
known as the Gospels); the Book of Acts; The Book of the Holy Scriptures, and the Book of
Revelation. The content tells about the life, career, teachings, and instructions on the
doctrine of Jesus and the Apostles towards people.
Currently, the Bible is translated into many different languages and is the most
published book in the world. In addition, Catholicism has several other documents such as
papal decrees, and council resolutions, which are in principle as valid as catechesis. In daily
life, from the Old Testament and the New Testament, Catholics compile two types of
prayers: Prayers and Prayers for all believers to pray.
The Secretariat of State is the oldest dicastery in the Roman Curia, the central papal
governing bureaucracy of the Catholic Church. It is headed by the Cardinal Secretary of
State and performs all the political and diplomatic functions of the Holy See. The Secretariat
is divided into three sections, the Section for General Affairs, the Section for Relations with
States, and, since 2017, the Section for Diplomatic Staff.
3.1.2. Congregation (Bộ)
The Congregation is responsible for safeguarding the doctrine of faith and morals,
examining matters of doctrine, promoting catechesis, and promoting studies and conferences
on this subject. The Congregation also evaluates the opinions of theologians, condemning
theories deemed false, after consulting with the bishops concerned. Authors have the right to
defend themselves. This Congregation is responsible for administering the Pontifical
Biblical Commission and the Theological Commission. The Congregation divided into 9
parts:
1. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
2. Congregation for the Oriental Churches
3. Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments
4. Congregation for the Causes of Saints
5. Congregation for Bishops
6. Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples
7. Congregation for the Clergy
8. Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life
9. Congregation for Catholic Education
Apostolic Penitentiary
3.1.4. Pontifical Councils (Hội đồng Giáo hoàng)
The pontifical council is a mid-sized department or dicastery of the Roman Curia, the
central organization responsible for assisting the pope in the governance and oversight of
Catholic Church. Such a council has a cardinal or archbishop as its president and is restricted
in its activities in comparison with the larger parts of the Curia.
The Church of Our Lady was built entirely of stone with the size of 15.3×8.5×6m, so
it is often called the Stone Church. The main façade of the church consists of a statue of Our
Lady in the middle with a centerpiece of a pierced heart-shaped relief with intricately carved
traditional motifs, two towers on either side having similar contours to Tower Pen in Hoan
Kiem Lake, Hanoi. The interior is structured in marble with a gentle and elegant layout with
lotus-shaped carvings, Mai - Truc - Cuc - Tung... converging the quintessence of
Vietnamese stone carving art.
Phat Diem Cathedral complex can be considered as the most unique church in
Vietnam when it brings images of pure Vietnamese traditional temple architecture into a
Christian work of Western origin, a symbol of of the meeting between Catholicism and
traditional beliefs of the Vietnamese people, the cultural interference between Vietnam and
France.
4.1.2. Hieu Thuan Church (Ninh Binh)
Church of Hieu Thuan Origin was built in 1889 in Khanh Mau commune, Yen Khanh
district, Ninh Binh province in pure Vietnamese style. The floor plan of the church is
rectangular, 34.3m long, 10.6m wide, including 9 compartments, 5 spans, starting with a
small reception space, followed by a space for parishioners and ending with the Palace.
There is a small room behind the sanctuary where preparation for the celebration of Masses
is made. The main facade of the church is arranged into five blocks, 3 floors high,
corresponding to 5 compartments in the interior, the central block is highlighted by the
height and decorative forms such as the cross on the roof top, the gilded board with letters.
Write the name of the church. The form of the facade has the shape of Tam Quan in
Vietnamese pagodas with three entrances, the upper floors are shaped like tiled roofs, the
roof corners are curved in the style of a knife.
The entire main structure of the church is made of wood, the rows of tall ironwood
columns support the truss-type truss - gong rack, the double-layer tile roof with match-stack
style with a row of glass doors between the two roof layers. for the space inside the church
to be filled with natural light. The side walls are formed by wooden sliding doors that can be
partially or fully opened when needed, as in ancient temples.
The interior of the church stands out with the sanctuary area completely carved in
wood, painted in gold, inspired by Baroque architecture with columns in the shape of
classical styles, in the middle is a semicircular Fronton. The entire wall of the sanctuary is
filled with decorative motifs of striking yellow flowers and leaves on a red lipstick
background, covering pictures and statues of Our Lady holding the baby Jesus.
4.1.3. Hai Giap Church (Nam Dinh)
The church of Hai Giap was built in 1906 on the territory of Hai Anh commune, Hai
Hau district, in Bui Chu diocese (Nam Dinh province). This is a typical form of a mixed
South and West church (a combination of traditional Vietnamese architectural styles and
Western church styles) in the early typical period.
The church space is created by 8 rows of wooden columns supporting the truss set
combined with 4 surrounding brick walls. Although the main structural system of the church
is a pure Vietnamese wooden structure, the surrounding walls give the church the
appearance of a Neo-Gothic style church.
The main facade of the church is structured with 5 spans ascending from the outside
to the center, inspired by Italian Gothic churches, suitable for 5 interior compartments. The
walls are elaborately decorated with motifs, doors, and solid hollow patches. The central
block is distinguished by its height and decorative motifs and is terminated by two vertical
crosses.
The interior of the church is distinguished by rows of columns supporting elaborately carved
wooden trusses, but completely unpainted to reveal the raw wood. Particularly, the area of
the sanctuary is painted with gold paint with many sophisticated motifs surrounding the
colored paintings of the saints, notably the picture of the mother holding the baby Jesus in
the center.
Basic features of the architectural heritage of early Catholic churches in the Northern
Delta:
Unlike churches in big cities built in the European church style, roughly called
Western churches, early Catholic churches in the Northern Delta countryside were
mainly inspired by from traditional Vietnamese architecture, so it is also known as the
Southern Church. However, Southern churches are also divided into two categories:
Pure Southern style is often seen in churches built in the late 19th century with
wooden structures in the traditional Vietnamese style. The main face is built in the
style of a three-way gate, the roof is tiled with curved blades on top with pure
Vietnamese decorative motifs. The bell tower is not attached to the facade but is often
separated from the building;
Mixed style is common in churches built in the early 20th century. The main
structural system is still the traditional wooden structure, combined with surrounding
brick walls. The main face is European church style with the highlight of the towering
bell tower and Western decorative motifs.
The Catholic Church is not only a place of spiritual activities but also a place of
community activities for local parishioners, a place to nurture moral and human
values of the people, with many functional features. similar to the communal house of
the Vietnamese people. Therefore, the influence of traditional architecture on early
Catholic church architecture is very clear.
The church is first the home of the local Christian Community, and then the home of
all the Christians who are meeting there. Therefore, it is natural for the church to become the
image of the community it receives, as the spatial extension and physical expression of this
community. It reflects to those inside as well as to those outside the image of the Church at a
given place and time.
For those outside the Church, in a pagan environment, the church is the home of the
faithful. In the Middle Ages, the church became the center of human and religious
community. It is the property of society as well as of the Church, a symbol of the culture and
ideals of the community, a privileged place of art. In modern, diverse and secularized
society, the external image that the church has inherited from the past no longer has the same
meaning. It is not a place that needs to be or be listed as a cultural heritage or be certified as
a tourist destination to bring higher income for local people. This image needs to be
confirmed according to the face that the
Church wants to give to the world around
5. Catholicism in Vietnam
5.2. Organizational structure
The Vietnam Bishops' Conference is an organization of all bishops who are
performing pastoral duties in dioceses in Vietnam. The organizational structure of the
Vietnam Bishops' Conference includes a Standing Committee (no number specified), with
the following titles: President, one or more Vice Presidents, General Secretary, one or more
Deputy Secretary Generals (The Deputy Secretary-General may be a priest). There are 17
committees led by bishops such as Episcopal Commission on Doctrine, on Divine Worship,
on Sacred Music and Arts, on Clergy and Seminarians, on Religious, on Laity, on Sacred
Scripture. , on Culture, on Evangelization… The term of office of the Episcopal Conference
is 3 years. Since its establishment, the Vietnam Bishops' Conference has passed 14 terms.
Currently, it is the 14th term (2019-2022), with 17 Commissions, 46 bishops, and 2
Cardinals.
Vietnamese Catholics currently have 03 provinces with 27 dioceses: Hà Nội Catholic
Church has 11 dioceses: Hà Nội, Hải Phòng, Lạng Sơn, Bắc Ninh, Hưng Hoá, Bùi Chu, Phát
Diệm, Thái Bình, Thanh Hoá, Vinh and Hà Tĩnh. The Church of Huế Province has 6
dioceses: Huế, Đà Nẵng, Qui Nhơn, Nha Trang, Kon Tum, and Buôn Mê Thuột. The Church
of Sài Gòn has 10 dioceses: Archdiocese of Hồ Chí Minh City, Diocese of Vĩnh Long, Cần
Thơ, Mỹ Tho, Đà Lạt, Long Xuyên, Phú Cường, Xuân Lộc, Phan Thiết, and Bà Rịa.
Besides the administrative organization that governs the activities of the Church such as
diocese and parish, Catholicism also has a system of religious orders. In Vietnam, there are
many Catholic religious orders, according to 2018 statistics of the Religious Committee, the
Vietnam Bishops' Conference has 285 religious orders, of which 76 are currently licensed by
competent state agencies. the right to grant operation registration and approval for
establishment.
Vietnamese Catholic currently has 11 training institutions, including Vietnam
Catholic Academy; St. Joseph's Seminary in Hà Nội; Major Seminary of Our Lady of the
Immaculate Conception Bùi Chu (Nam Định); Thái Bình Sacred Heart Seminary (Thái
Bình); Vinh Thanh Major Seminary (Nghệ An); Huế Grand Seminary (Thừa Thiên Huế);
Sao Biển Major Seminary - Nha Trang (Khánh Hòa); Saint Joseph's Seminary in Hồ Chí
Minh City; Saint Joseph Xuân Lộc Seminary (Đồng Nai); Campus II Saint Joseph Xuân Lộc
Seminary in Đà Lạt (Lâm Đồng); Saint Quý Major Seminary (Cần Thơ).
Vietnamese Catholicism is a religion that actively participates in the fields of health,
education, charity, and humanitarianism. In the past time, along with religious
activities, the Catholic Church has promoted activities such as establishing
kindergartens; organizing love and cultural enrichment classes for disadvantaged,
homeless children, poor and uneducated children, and children with disabilities;
setting up a study promotion fund to support and encourage poor students and
students to give scholarships to students; opening humanitarian clinics, facilities for
raising poor children, taking care of the elderly alone, disabled, leprosy, Agent
Orange victims, HIV-AIDS; building inter-village roads, bridges and water plants for
poor people in remote areas... these are important contributions of Catholics to the
construction and development of the country.
Catholicism was introduced into Vietnam, making many positive contributions to the
country's culture and society. However, during the resistance war against the French
colonialists and the American imperialists, a small number of Catholic believers and
dignitaries were taken advantage of by imperial forces, affecting the State-Church
relationship.
After 1975, when the two countries, the North and the South, collected one term, the
Churches of the two regions had many favorable conditions for reunification. In 1980, the
Bishops' Conference of Vietnam held its first congress and issued a historic Joint Letter with
the direction of "Living the Gospel in the heart of the nation to serve the happiness of the
compatriots". The 1980 Joint Letter of the Bishops' Conference of Vietnam expresses the
feelings and responsibilities of Catholics towards the country: Loving the Fatherland and
compatriots towards Catholics is not only a must-have natural feeling but also a requirement.
question of the Gospel. The 1980 Joint Letter also defined the task of building a new
religious life and an expression of faith by the national cultural tradition.
Vietnamese Catholic has more than 3,000 parishes; as of early 2021, there are 46 bishops,
nearly 6000 priests; about 200 religious orders, congregations, and associations with more
than 31,000 men and women religious, over 7 million followers.
Currently, the province has 172 parish churches, 492 family churches; there are 01
Bishop, 250 Priests (in which: Bùi Chu Diocese: 01 Bishop, 225 Priests; Hà Nội Diocese: 25
Priests); 473,051 educated population (in which: Bùi Chu diocese: 405,256; Hà Nội diocese:
67,795; accounting for nearly 25% of the province's population); The 6 religious orders are
the Dominicans, the Rosary, the Visiting, the Trinh Vương, the Cross Lovers (belonging to
Bùi Chu Diocese) and the Cross Lovers (belonging to Hà Nội Diocese) with 35 grassroots
orders, over 800 nuns; There was Director Bùi Chu and the University of Our Lady to check
Bùi Chu.
Khoái Đồng Church (Bùi Chu diocese)
In general, in the past years, Catholic dignitaries and beliefs in the area have always
promoted and well implemented the motto "good life, good religion", abiding by the
guidelines, guidelines, policies, and laws of the State. on the fields of social life in general,
beliefs and religions in particular; carry out religious activities and activities by the law,
actively participate in charity and humanitarian activities, and patriotic emulation
movements launched by the locality.