AsiaNews: Vietnamese Catholics are mourning the death of two bishops, who both died on August 17 last from natural causes. They are Msgr. Joseph Hoang Van Tiem, of the diocese of Bui Chu, in northern Vietnam, and Msgr. Thomas Nguyen Van Tân, the bishop of the diocese of Vinh Long, in the south of the country. Bishop Joseph, 74, died at 4 am for a myocardial infarction, Bishop Thomas, aged 73, died suddenly in the evening, without warning. Only two days before, on August 15, he had celebrated Mass at the Cathedral of the Assumption.
The two sudden deaths have shocked and saddened the faithful of the diocese of Bui Chu and Vinh Long, and provoked expressions of closeness from the entire Vietnamese Catholic community that is united in prayer. On behalf of the Vietnamese bishops’ conference, Msgr. Pierre Nguyen Van Nhon has sent a letter of condolence. Read more here.
