Father Peter Phan Khac Tu has passed away.

According to the Catholic and National newspaper: "Father Peter Phan Khac Tu was called to God at 10:03 PM on April 1st, at the age of 89."

Father Peter Phan Khac Tu

Father Peter Phan Khac Tu was born in 1937, the third of four siblings in a poor farming family, originally from Hai Phong .

At the age of 15, he was sent to study in the Van Khe parish, then attended the Blessed Liem Seminary, and later temporarily resided in Binh Duc, in the My Tho area.

In 1960, he transferred to Nguyen Ba Tong High School in Saigon, and in 1962 he entered St. Joseph's Seminary in Saigon.

On May 14, 1968, at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Saigon, he was ordained a priest.

Father Peter Phan Khac Tu was assigned as assistant parish priest of Vuon Xoai parish ( thuộc Tan Dinh deanery).

Shortly afterwards, Archbishop Paul Nguyen Van Binh appointed him to also serve as chaplain of the Catholic Youth Workers of the diocese, in charge of the activities of Catholic working youth.

It was precisely because of this role that the priest came into contact with progressive Catholic movements after the Second Vatican Council, guiding Catholics to be responsible to their communities and obligated to their country.

According to the Catholic and National newspaper, in 1969, while studying in France, Father Peter Phan Khac Tu met Mrs. Nguyen Thi Binh, head of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam delegation, who was participating in the four-party conference on peace for Vietnam in Paris.

The priest expressed his views and his desire to help with pastoral care for the Catholic community in the war zone. However, for various reasons, this idea was not later realized.

Back in Saigon, Father Peter Phan Khac Tu and a number of progressive Catholic priests supported the anti-American student movement and also supported the striking workers at the Eagle Battery factory demanding improved living conditions.

In 1972, Father Peter Phan Khac Tu took a job as a garbage collector to live and work alongside the poorest laborers in society.

In October 1974, he was dismissed from the City Hall for frequently participating in demonstrations. Despite his involvement in many activities, the priest always fulfilled his religious and secular duties with a spirit of reverence for God and love for neighbor, always standing on the side of the poor.

He accepted the position of Vice Chairman of the People's Front for Famine Relief and Chairman of the Committee for the Protection of Workers' Rights.

After the reunification of the country, Father Peter Phan Khac Tu held the following positions:

- Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh City Federation of Labor, Vietnam Association for the Relief of Disabled Children.

- Member of the National Assembly in the 8th term (1987-1992), 9th term (1992-1997) and 10th term (1997-2002); Member of the National Assembly's Committee on Social Affairs (from 1987 to 2002); Member of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (from 2000 to 2024).

- Permanent Vice Chairman and General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Catholic Solidarity Committee (from 1983 to 2018), Vice Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Catholic Solidarity Committee (from 2018 to 2023).

- Member of the Central Executive Committee of the Vietnam Association for the Protection of Disabled People and Orphans (from 2000 to present); Chairman of the Management Board and Director of the "For Disabled Children of Vietnam" Fund (from 2010 to present).

- Member of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council from the 1st to the 4th term; Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Ho Chi Minh City (from 2018 to 2024).

- Deputy Head of the Advisory Council on Ethnic and Religious Affairs of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Ho Chi Minh City (from 2018 to 2024).

- Standing Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Catholic Solidarity Committee of Ho Chi Minh City (from 1980 to 2016); Chairman of the Vietnam Catholic Solidarity Committee of Ho Chi Minh City (from 2016 to September 2023).

- Editor-in-chief of the Catholic and National newspaper (from 2009 to present).

- Director of Thien Phuoc Center for Nurturing and Protecting Children with Disabilities (from 2000 to June 2024); Honorary Chairman of the Committee for Catholic Solidarity of Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City (from 2023 to present).

Father Peter Phan Khac Tu became parish priest of Vuon Xoai parish in 1980 and oversaw the Vuon Xoai community until his retirement in 2011.

The priest oversaw the construction of the Mango Garden Church in 1981. This was the first Catholic church built in the city since the reunification of North and South Vietnam.

According to the Catholic and National newspaper, in many periods, priests have quietly participated in resolving obstacles to ensure that religious activities proceed smoothly, and that various levels of government and organizations better understand the lives of Catholic people.

After leaving his position as parish priest of Vuon Xoai parish in 2011, he continued to dedicate himself to social work, freeing up more time for charitable and social activities. Besides the Thien Phuoc facility, established in 1999 in Cu Chi, caring for over 100 children affected by Agent Orange, he opened Thien Phuoc 2 in An Phu Dong (District 12, Ho Chi Minh City) in 2004, caring for 60 disabled children. In 2015, he built Thien Phuoc 3 in Ward 16, District 8, Ho Chi Minh City.

For his immense contributions to the people and society, Father Peter Phan Khac Tu has received: the Second-Class Independence Order; the First, Second, and Third-Class Labor Orders; the Second-Class Resistance Order; the "For the Cause of National Unity" Commemorative Medal; and the "Accompanying the Nation" Commemorative Medal.

Father Peter Phan Khac Tu always upheld the spirit of dedication, kindness, and solidarity, making him easy to get along with. He knew how to rely on the strength of the collective to discuss and work together.

He truly was a strong bridge between religion and life, a steadfast link between the people and the government, dedicating his entire life to the cause of national unity.

He once affirmed: "As a Catholic priest, I am devoted to the Church and obedient to the Ordinary. As a citizen of Vietnam, I want to dedicate my life to my country and my fellow countrymen. It is from this that I found the ideal environment for my life in the Vietnam Catholic Solidarity Committee, where I can dedicate my life to Christ, to my country, and to my people."

Read more Back to the Home page

THIEN PHUONG - ACCORDING TO CATHOLIC AND NATIONAL NEWSPAPER

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/linh-muc-phero-phan-khac-tu-qua-doi-20250402061504418.htm