Tien Hai: Doing religious work well

Over the past years, Party committees and authorities at all levels in Tien Hai district have led and directed the implementation of religious work well, contributing to strengthening the great national unity bloc.

Leaders of Nam Chinh commune (Tien Hai) regularly meet, exchange, and grasp the thoughts and aspirations of parishioners.

Huu Vi Parish, Nam Chinh Commune currently has nearly 400 households with about 2,000 people. Mr. Tran Xuan Tuynh, Chairman of the Parish Pastoral Council, said: The parish always conducts religious activities in accordance with the law. On important holidays, leaders of the local Party Committee and government visit, congratulate, and create solidarity with religious people. Parish members always comply with all policies and guidelines of the Party, policies and laws of the State, local regulations, and actively participate in patriotic emulation movements launched by all levels and sectors. Before constructing works in the church grounds, we always report to the competent authorities in accordance with regulations. 2022 is the 5th consecutive year that the parish has been recognized as "4 Model Parishes".

According to comrade Duong Khanh Doanh, Secretary of the Commune Party Committee: Nam Chinh currently has 2 parishes and 3 sub-parishes with the number of Catholics accounting for 50% of the population. In addition, the locality also has Chinh Giac Pagoda with a large number of Buddhist followers. In recent years, the Party Committee, the government, the Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations have actively propagated and mobilized religious dignitaries, officials and followers to comply with the Party's policies, the State's laws, local regulations, actively participate in campaigns, humanitarian and charitable activities, hunger eradication and poverty reduction, and help people in difficult circumstances. They have paid attention to directing and guiding religious organizations in the locality to register their programs of activities and commit to maintaining their activities in accordance with the law. In general, religious dignitaries, officials and followers have performed very well. Every year, parishes and churches are recognized as "4 model parishes and churches", Chinh Giac Pagoda is recognized as "4 model landscape pagodas"... Stable religious activities contribute to local economic development with an average growth rate of 12.4%/year, the average income of people reaches over 53.3 million VND/year.

According to comrade Hoang Van Tuy, Standing Deputy Secretary of Tien Hai District Party Committee: In the district, there are two main religions: Buddhism and Catholicism; Catholicism alone has over 48,000 followers, accounting for 22.3% of the district's population and 1/3 of the province's Catholics. The Standing Committee of the District Party Committee has issued a specialized resolution on strengthening the leadership and direction of Party committees and Party organizations on religious and belief work in the district for the period of 2017 - 2020 and the following years; directing the good implementation of religious solidarity, strengthening state management of religion, promoting the active role of religious people in socio-economic development. Religious and belief work has become a content in the socio-economic development plan of the district and localities. Party committees and Party cells have included the content of leadership and direction of religious and belief work in the activities of Party organizations. Pay attention to solving specific issues related to religious work as well as the legitimate and legitimate aspirations of religious dignitaries and followers; consolidate the political system, build a core team in areas with a large number of religious people, contributing to strengthening social consensus. Religious dignitaries, officials and followers actively participate in patriotic emulation movements, living a "good life and good religion". In the 2021 - 2026 term, the whole district has 52 religious dignitaries, officials and followers participating in the district and commune People's Councils, and 1 priest is a provincial People's Council delegate. In the past 5 years, the whole district has admitted 8 party members who are religious people.

In addition, the care for the material and spiritual life of religious people has always received special attention from Party committees and authorities at all levels. Socio-economic development programs and projects in the area, especially in religious areas, have been effectively implemented. Thanks to that, the socio-economic situation in religious areas has had many positive changes, especially in the transformation of crop and livestock structure towards commodity production; infrastructure has received investment attention; education and health have had many changes; the poverty rate has decreased. The material and spiritual life of religious people has been constantly improved, contributing to strengthening the trust of religious people in the Party, the State, Party committees at all levels and local authorities. Along with that, the leadership and direction of resolving religious issues have also received attention from all levels and sectors in the district, and have resolved many complicated cases related to religious activities, meeting the aspirations of believers and religious dignitaries, and maintaining religious security in the locality.