CH02461.1445 May 14, 2007 20 EM-lines (237 words) CHINA    Bishop Dong, First 'Self-Elect, Self-Ordain' Mainland Bishop, Dies Of Lung Cancer HONG KONG (UCAN) -- Bishop Bernardine Dong Guangqing of Wuhan (formerly Hankou) diocese, who in 1958 was one of China's first two "self-elect and self-ordain" bishops, died of lung cancer and complications May 12. He was 90. Bishop Dong, a Franciscan, was diagnosed with lung cancer about seven years ago. Local Church sources told UCA News on May 14 that the bishop had been in and out of consciousness since March. Also on May 14, Father Joachim Shu Zigeng of Wuhan told UCA News that Bishop Dong's requiem Mass will take place May 17 afternoon at the Hankou cathedral. Father Shu also said there will be a funeral service and Mass at Wuchang funeral home the next morning. After cremation, he added, the bishop's ashes will be buried at the Baiquan Catholic cemetery in a Wuhan city suburb. "There is no news, so no comment" about succession, he said. Wuhan diocese has three elderly and 25 young priests, 18 nuns and two major seminarians. Bishop Dong was born on April 1, 1917, and entered the Franciscans in 1934. He was ordained a priest in 1942. On April 13, 1958, he and Father Yuan Wenhua were ordained the first two "self-elect and self-ordain" bishops of Hankou and Wuchang, respectively. Bishop Yuan died in 1973. On April 30, 2006, Bishop Dong presided at the episcopal ordination of Father Joseph Ma Yinglin in Kunming, held without the Holy See's approval. END Related UCAN Reports CHINA Nine Bishops Take Part In Episcopal Ordination Lacking Papal Mandate (May 1, 2006) CHINA Underground Bishop In Hubei Dies (October 14, 2005) CHINA Catholics Help Central China Flood Victims Rebuild Homes Before Winter (November 20, 1998) ID02458.1445 May 14, 2007 70 EM-lines (712 words) INDIA    Christians, Hindus Join To Oppose 'Offensive' Paintings In Gujarat AHMEDABAD, India (UCAN) -- Christians recently joined Hindu right-wing activists in the western Indian state of Gujarat to oppose paintings they found religiously offensive. They jointly held a rally May 9 in Vadodara, the state's cultural capital some 900 kilometers southwest of New Delhi. The rally made headlines since Hindu groups in the state are usually blamed for attacks against Christians. "We feel highly pained by irreverence shown toward Jesus Christ in the paintings," said Mariam S. Dhabi, a Catholic lawyer who led the Christians together with Reverend Emmanuel Kant, a Methodist pastor. Niraj Jain, a rightwing Hindu activist, led the Hindu group, who complained that the art of Chandra Mohan, a student of fine arts in Vadodara's Maharaja Sayajirao University, had offended their religious sentiments too. The Hindu activists reportedly manhandled Mohan. Christian groups refrained from any physical assault, but demonstrated outside the venue where Mohan's works were displayed. They also submitted a memorandum to government authorities demanding stern action against the painter. Mohan, 23, painted the controversial pictures as part of his bachelor's degree final examination. He displayed the paintings on the university campus. Police arrested Mohan on May 11 on charges of hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus and Christians. On May 14, art lovers and human rights activists bailed out the son of a poor carpenter from a remote village in Andhra Pradesh, a southern Indian state. Reverend Kant said Mohan's works include a cross with fluid flowing from a male genital. An adjoining painting showed Hindu goddess Durga delivering a baby. "I have seen these pictures. They are quite offensive and vulgar," the Methodist pastor told UCA News May 11. He wondered if Mohan would depict "his father and mother" in similar fashion. Christian groups, Reverend Kant added, are now planning a prayer meeting to oppose artists who "misuse religious symbols," as Mohan did. However, that does not mean Christians oppose freedom of expression, he clarified. "We strongly believe in freedom of expression guaranteed in the Indian constitution," he asserted, but stressed that freedom is not a license to abuse someone's religion. "One cannot be allowed to make fun of the cross, or the person of Jesus Christ, held in high esteem by millions of Christians all over the globe," he said. Jain shared the Methodist pastor's views. "This is not art. We can't tolerate disrespect for our religion," he told UCA News. He said his group wants Mohan suspended from the university. The Hindu leader was former head of the district unit of Bajrang Dal (party of the strong and stout), which was accused of engineering attacks on Christians. P.C. Thakur, the highest-ranking police official in Vadodara district, justified Mohan's arrest. He said, "people got offended by his art works," which made a "mockery of religious personalities." Gujarat state has a history of sectarian violence. It has witnessed several Hindu-Muslim riots and several cases of attacks on Christians, particularity in tribal areas, since 1999. On May 11, the university vice chancellor, reportedly under pressure from Hindu groups, suspended Mohan's lecturer. Shivaji Panikkar, who judged the paintings, was asked not to enter the university campus until further notice. Some people, however, said they find the protests undemocratic. Father Jolly Nadukudiyil, who manages a school for the poor in Vadodara, said it was "unfortunate" that Jain's views are "being projected as the opinion of the common people." According to the Catholic priest, the protest was held by "vested interests" to gain political mileage. Elections to the state assembly legislative assembly are scheduled in December. The priest also questioned why the Hindu radicals do not oppose nudity and sexually explicit scenes in some ancient paintings displayed in some parts of the country. Juzair S. Bandukwala, who had taught physics in the university, said that the protest was "an anti-democratic" way to "gag the right to freedom of expression." He said such trends threaten India's democracy. Gujarat is now ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (Indian peoples' party), the political unit of Hindu groups striving to make India a theocratic nation. Bandukwala now works with the Peoples' Union for Civil Liberties. His associate, Bina Srinivasan, dismissed the protest as "bigotry of the first order." She told UCA News the protests reflected the "increasing intolerance toward freedom of expression in Gujarat." END Related UCAN Reports INDIA Jains, Buddhists Oppose Gujarat's Anti-Conversion Law (October 16, 2006) INDIA Church Joins Peace Process In Riot-Stricken Gujarat State (March 8, 2002) INDIA New Attacks Raise Fears Of Anti-Christian Offensive Revival (May 9, 2000) INDIA Anti-Christian Pamphlets Worry Christians In Gujarat (July 15, 1999) IS02435.1445 May 14, 2007 52 EM-lines (550 words) INDONESIA    Catholic Doctor Urges Priests To Pass On Information About HIV/AIDS HOKENG, Indonesia (UCAN) -- A local doctor believes priests could play a key role in stemming the spread of HIV/AIDS on predominantly Catholic Flores Island by raising awareness among parishioners. "I ask priests to give information about HIV/AIDS, because they are spearheads of social change on Flores," Doctor Asep Purnama said at a seminar held on May 3 at San Domingo Minor Seminary in Larantuka diocese. The seminary is in Hokeng, just west of Larantuka town, 1,395 kilometers east of Jakarta. The 30 participants included parish priests and diocesan staff workers. Purnama's session was propelled by statistics he called "startling." Between February 2003 and February 2007, T.C. Hillers Hospital in Maumere, Flores, in neighboring Maumere diocese, identified 88 Florinese infected with HIV/AIDS. Of that number, 15 have already died. That hospital, which provides free medical treatment and medicine for patients from anywhere on Flores, currently has the only clinic for blood tests on the island. A similar clinic is located in Kupang, the provincial capital, in West Timor. Flores and Sumba islands, and the Indonesian part of Timor Island are the main constituents of East Nusa Tenggara province "The number of infections does not include blood tests run outside the hospital," Purnama clarified. It could rise significantly, he said, if medical personnel offer "open" blood tests, not only in hospitals and clinics but all around the area. For now, "we must encourage people (on Flores) to have blood tests at T.C. Hillers," he urged, calling for all Church, government and social leaders to support his efforts and spread information on HIV/AIDS. He expressed his conviction that cooperation between Church and society will help people change dangerous, high-risk lifestyles. Meanwhile, the doctor asked for local governments to build a special clinic for blood tests in each Flores district -- East Flores, Ende, Lembata, Manggarai, Nagakeo, Ngada, Sikka, West Manggarai. These will help more people know whether they are living with HIV/AIDS or not, he said. During the discussion, Father Fransiskus Amanue, parish priest of St. Joseph Church in Nurabelan, told participants he appreciated learning more about HIV/AIDS. He plans to organize sessions for parishioners to get similar briefings from Purnama. While some participants asked Purnama for more HIV/AIDS seminars, Kristoforus Mage asked about the symptoms, "because most of the participants are non-experts and some have never even seen an HIV patient." Purnama then introduced Maksiamus, 35, who accompanied the doctor. Maksiamus told participants he was infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), from which AIDS develops, by injecting narcotics with contaminated, used needles. The man said he is taking medication that enables him to function normally, and he appealed for non-discriminatory treatment of people in his situation. "Please don't be afraid of people with HIV/AIDS. Don't discriminate against them, otherwise they will become isolated from society," he pleaded, stating that he is just like a patient with any other disease. At the same time he urged all people not to follow his example. "Now I have self-awareness. I will no longer use narkoba!" he pledged. The Indonesian acronym narkoba refers to narcotics, psychotropic and addictive substances. Purnama agreed with Maksiamus that people should not discriminate against others with HIV/AIDS, but rather work to help them. "This is the right time to do something for the benefit of many people," he said. END Related UCAN Reports INDONESIA Foundation Draws On Church Links In Publishing Magazine For Anti-HIV/AIDS Campaign (July 11, 2006) INDONESIA Divine Word Brothers Celebrate 50th Anniversary Of Formation House (July 7, 2006) INDONESIA Bishop-elect Wants To Set Up Commission For HIV/AIDS In New Diocese (January 3, 2006) INDONESIA Church Serves People With AIDS In Worst-hit Province Of Papua (December 5, 2003) INDONESIA Catechists Write Book Warning Villagers On Danger Of HIV/AIDS (January 26, 2000) INDONESIA Forum To Combat AIDS Set Up By NGOs In Mostly Catholic Province (August 22, 1997) INDONESIA Bishops Suggest Relational Focus Can Stop Drug Abuse And HIV/AIDS (November 22, 1994) INDONESIA UCAN Short - Indonesia Awakens To AIDS Epidemic (December 21, 1992) IT02385.1445 May 14, 2007 66 EM-lines (691 words) INDONESIA    Catholic Tribal Women Seek Ways To Keep Tradition Values Alive Among Young People MERAUKE, Indonesia (UCAN) -- Members of a Catholic tribal group in Indonesia's easternmost province held the first in a series of Church-backed conferences to revive tribal tradition among their youth. One hundred women of the Muyu tribe in southern Papua took part in the conference in Merauke, 3,670 kilometers east of Jakarta. They established the United Muyu Tribal Women's Community (KPAMB, Indonesian acronym) of Merauke and elected Agustina Kambayong, 40, its chairwoman. Kambayong told UCA News on April 25 that the convention addressed the situation of the tribe's young women. It focused on "how to improve their love for Muyu tradition, because many Muyu young people no longer know their tradition, or even their tribal dialect," she said. Among other suggestions, the women proposed setting up a youth movement and looking for qualified young women to get involved actively in KPAMB, according to Kambayong. She put the average age of the current board members at 50. The March 31 convention, held with financial support from Merauke archdiocese 's secretariat for justice and peace, also established an executive board for KPAMB Merauke with four sections: education, health, public relations and social welfare. The KPAMB central board was founded in Merauke on Feb. 6, 2006, but is now based in Boven Digoel district, 270 kilometers north of the city. Some Muyu also live in neighboring Papua New Guinea. Kambayong said KPAMB was established in line with the statutes of the Muyu tribal council, founded in January 2001, which asks tribal people to create opportunities for women to development without abandon tribal customs. The council has a special section for women. During the Merauke conference, Kambayong thanked Catholic missioners for forming many successful Muyu women through boarding schools. "Now the government must work together with the Church to develop the young generation," she said. She also called on young women to learn about Muyu tradition, ethics and morality. Sister Maria Sebastiana Nowan attended the conference, held in the building used by the archdiocesan catechetical committee. The Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart nun told UCA News that women have a special role in raising their children to be useful and productive, "especially in Muyu culture, which asks everyone to share her or his capabilities." Approximately 10,000 Muyu live in Papua province. Identifying positive cultural attributes, Agustina Songmen, member of KPAMB Merauke, described the Muyu as "hard-working" people known to value education. They want the Church to maintain boarding schools for their children, she told UCA News on May 11. Sister Nowan sees nurturing positive talents and values as a local Church task. She pointed out during the conference that an archdiocesan pastoral meeting on Oct. 8, 2006, called for Papuan Catholics to augment indigenous traditions with Church teaching where applicable, as with women's rights. The recent conference further "united Church values with positive cultural values," the nun added. Maria Pascalina Kayeb, a conference participant, worries that young people "have forgotten their local customs." She hopes all Muyu women will unite to work for the Church and the nation. Samuel Mindipkoman, general secretary of the Muyu tribal council, thanked the Church for forming women through missionary boarding schools. He recalled how parents invited their school-age children to eat with them and tell stories about the saints. "We want to encourage such customs now," he continued. "The Church must accompany society. And KPAMB must help women strive for their rights, and educate the people to be useful for the Church, the tribe and society." Mindipkoman told UCA News that the Muyu consider women and men to be partners. "Even though men and women are naturally different, Muyu men do not regard Muyu women as insignificant," he said. Muyu tribe respects women because "they are cool-headed and peaceful," in addition to being able to manage all household affairs, he added. According to Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Sister Bernadette Ensiana Sidok, her congregation started four boarding schools for women in Merauke diocese in 1928. "Unfortunately, we stopped running one of them last year, even as the Muyu were asking for more boarding schools," she told UCA News. She said they lack qualified staff. END Related UCAN Reports INDONESIA Papuan Tribe Finds Parallels Between Jesus' Birth And Traditional Custom (January 2, 2007) INDONESIA Church Continues To Preserve Asmat Culture Through Art Festival (October 30, 2006) INDONESIA Catholic Women Urged To Take More Active Role In Transforming Families (April 10, 2006) INDONESIA Women's Groups Reject Morality Regulations As Biased Against Women (March 15, 2006) INDONESIA Catholic Women's Affordable Health Care Project Revived, Recognized (January 26, 2006) INDONESIA Local Custom And Ignorance Of Law Blamed For Continuing Domestic Violence In Papua (October 13, 2005) INDONESIA Isolated Papuan Tribe Suffer Deplorable Conditions In Irian Jaya (IJ4926.0460 JUNE 29, 1988) PL02455.1445 May 14, 2007 66 EM-lines (705 words) PHILIPPINES    High Rate of Abortion Cases Alarms Health Authorities, Church BAGUIO CITY, Philippines (UCAN) -- When Francesca (not her real name) knew she was pregnant three years ago, while raising a 6-year-old daughter by a former boyfriend, she bought several kinds of abortifacients. She found out her new boyfriend was married, and she feared her "unplanned" pregnancy, then at the two-month stage, would bring "shame" to her family again. "I wasn't ready for another baby at that time," the single mother told UCA News on May 2. However, Francesca, now 30, was not ready to go ahead and abort her child either. Frightened and confused, she went to Lifeline Counseling Center (LCC) along Session Road in Baguio City, 205 kilometers northwest of Manila. A counselor at LCC, a nonprofit organization that promotes preservation of life, assured Francesca her father's anger would subside after she gave birth. "As a Catholic, I also had this fear of aborting my own baby," she said. Francesca proceeded with her pregnancy after visiting the center, but an increasing number of young women in Baguio are choosing abortion as a way out of their "compromising" situation, according to hospital records. A study released by Baguio General Hospital's (BGH) Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in April ranked the city as having the second-highest incidence of abortions in the Philippines. Abortion in the country is illegal under any circumstances, with doctors directed to try their best to save both lives in the case of danger to the mother. The study monitored government hospitals nationwide and abortion cases were determined based on medical records of patients who suffered complications due to abortions. Davao City, in the southern Philippines, had the highest incidence of abortion. From October 2004 to September 2005, hospitals in Baguio "identified" 918 cases in which abortion, whether by surgery, ingestion of abortifacients or other induced methods, was the cause of complications. Gynecologist Jessie Diaz, head of the BGH Reproductive Health Care Clinic, told UCA News the report is "a cause for alarm." Referring to the BGH study, Diaz said that, "single, young women are the ones committing abortion" in recent years, compared to mostly married women in the 1980s and 1990s. She added that 55 percent of those treated for post-abortion complications were in the age range of 20-24, while 40 percent were between 15 and 19. Diaz also cited a case of a 13-year-old elementary student who had an abortion. There are "complex" reasons why young women resort to abortion, according to LCC counselor Carmelita Manlapaz. Speaking with UCA News on April 30, she said "fear of their parents" usually pushes her clients to consider abortions. "They come to study in this city, so they fear disappointing their parents. They're also not ready for the responsibility," Manlapaz explained. She observed that the number of pregnant women coming to her for advice "is increasing," especially among students. Baguio's high abortion rate has also distressed the Church, according to Father Emmanuel Panayo, who heads the diocese's Family Life Apostolate. Speaking to UCA News on May 10, the priest called the BGH report "alarming." Father Panayo admitted that the Church was preoccupied the past few months with the approach of the May 14 elections, but he said that diocesan officials would look more closely at abortion during their next meeting. The diocese has not ignored the issue, Edith Jacoba, staff coordinator of the Formation Commission of Baguio diocese, told UCA News. She said abortion, sexuality and family planning are addressed in the curriculum of diocesan schools. Immaculate Heart of Mary Father John Kanyinda, parish priest at Saint Louis University, told UCA News he has referred a few pregnant students to LCC. The Congolese priest also organizes forums on sexuality every year at the university, Baguio's largest, with 30,000 students. According to Marie Judith Cacho, a psychology professor and guidance counselor at Saint Louis, "media influence, pressure from friends, the need for love and belonging" are possible reasons why students get into sexual relationships. Baguio is an education center, especially for the Cordillera Administrative Region. Data from the Commission on Higher Education showed that for the 2005-2006 school year, the region had 95,772 college students enrolled in both private and public colleges. Of this number, roughly 70 percent, or 67,000, were enrolled in Baguio. END Related UCAN Reports PHILIPPINES Church Calls Reproduction Bill 'Attempt To Legalize Abortion' (October 25, 2002) PHILIPPINNES Drug Bureau Asks Recall Of Contraceptive Found To Induce Abortion (November 22, 2001) PHILIPPINES Pro-Life Advocates Expose Abortion Clinics In Manila (September 10, 1997) PHILIPPINES Local Church Rejects Government Offer For Joint Anti-Abortion Campaign (March 10, 1994) SR02456.1445 May 14, 2007 60 EM-lines (707 words) SRI LANKA    'War And Violence Continue' After President's Talk With The Pope COLOMBO (UCAN) -- Despite the lack of progress after the recent meeting of Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican, Sri Lanka's Catholic Church is still trying to promote peace in the country. Bishop Vianney Fernando of Kandy, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Sri Lanka, highlighted this point when he spoke with UCA News on May 9 at his office in Colombo. Referring to the meeting between President Rajapakse and Pope Benedict on April 20, Bishop Fernando said: "The Holy Father has reflected his concern. That message gives us courage and strength, so we will continue our efforts and (press) the state, and urge all political parties to find a peaceful settlement to the ethnic conflict within a united Sri Lanka." The Vatican said in a statement issued on April 20: "In the course of the talks - and in the light of the current situation in Sri Lanka - the need was reiterated to respect human rights and resume the path of dialogue and negotiation as the only way to put an end to the violence that is bloodying the island." "The Catholic Church, which offers a significant contribution to the life of the country, will intensify her delicate task of forming consciences with the sole ambition of favoring the common good, reconciliation and peace," it also said. Before the Vatican meeting, some optimistic, though cautious, comments could be seen in the Sri Lankan press, including claims that Sri Lanka would be "honored" by the meeting and that it would strengthen "national cohesion and unity." Even Archbishop Mario Zenari, the apostolic nuncio to Sri Lanka, told UCA News that he "hoped" they would "bear fruit." In public statements and behind-the-scenes discussions over the years, the Catholic Church has actively encouraged the Sinhalese-led government and Tamil separatists fighting for independence to end the war that began in 1983. The Church has run workshops, seminars and signature campaigns calling for peace. Bishop Fernando admitted that the Church has limited clout in the Buddhist-majority country where Catholics account for just 7 percent of its 19 million people. "On the other hand, we are strong because only the Church has laymen from both communities," he said, referring to the fact that Hindus are Tamils and Buddhists are Sinhalese, while Catholics include both Tamil and Sinhalese. All the same, Bishop Fernando acknowledged that the reality looks bleak. "I don't see any change in the situation. War and violence continue," he said. Other Church people, not least those in the main war zones, earlier voiced a similar concern. "The Holy Father's words had no effect on the president," Bishop Thomas Savundranayagam of Jaffna, in northern Sri Lanka, told UCA News via e-mail on April 25. "As soon as the president returned from the Vatican, the state announced an attack on the north." Bishop Savundranayagam said the air force bombed the northern port city of Jaffna and Tamil separatists retaliated by bombing Palaly airbase in Jaffna. "The visit of the Sri Lankan president to the Holy Father has been ineffective in bringing peace to the divided people of Sri Lanka," the bishop asserted. Bishop Kingsley Swampillai of Trincomalee-Batticaloa Diocese in eastern Sri Lanka had an equally bleak view. "I cannot forecast any possibility of changes in the government stand in future," he told UCA News by phone on April 24. Bishop Swampillai also reported that Batticaloa diocese is now troubled with the displacement of people who fled their villages in the rebel-controlled area due to air raids and shelling by government forces. More than 150,000 people are living in temporary makeshift camps and schools in his diocese, and Archbishop Zenari recently visited displaced people in the camps, he added. According to Father Reid Shelton Fernando of the Peace Task Force of Caritas Sri Lanka, the Sri Lankan president's talk with the pope "did not yield a positive result." The exchanges were on "parallel lines" and there was no guarantee from the president that positive steps would be taken to deal with the humanitarian crisis in the future, Father Fernando said. In his view, the statement issued by the Vatican after the meeting was merely "a routine statement" issued on completion of talks between two state leaders. END Related UCAN Reports VATICAN Pope Tells Sri Lankan President Dialogue Is The Only Way To End Violence (April 21, 2007) SRI LANKA President's Vatican Visit Will 'Bear Fruit,' Says Nuncio (April 20, 2007) VT02438.1445 May 14, 2007 58 EM-lines (673 words) VIETNAM    Catholics Welcome Start Of Late Cardinal Thuan's Sainthood Cause NHA TRANG, Vietnam (UCAN) -- Catholics in central Nha Trang diocese have welcomed a recent announcement that the cause for their former bishop's canonization would begin soon. According to an April 24 report from Catholic news agency Zenit, Bishop Giampaolo Crepaldi, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, was quoted as saying the cause that could result first in the beatification of the late Cardinal Francois Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan "is starting." Beatification, through which a candidate for sainthood is declared "blessed," precedes canonization, the proclamation of a new saint. According to current procedures, a canonization cause can begin only five years after the candidate's death. Cardinal Thuan died in Rome in September 2002. The prelate was born in 1928 in Hue, central Vietnam. He was ordained a priest in 1953, and ordained bishop of Nha Trang diocese, 1,280 kilometers south of Ha Noi, in 1967. He served as bishop here until Pope Paul VI named him coadjutor archbishop of Sai Gon (now Ho Chi Minh City) on April 23, 1975. After the communists took control of U.S.-backed South Vietnam on April 30 that year, he was accused of political involvement and detained for 13 years in prison, re-education camps and solitary confinement. He was never placed on trial. He was freed in 1988 and later forced into exile. Pope John Paul II brought him into the Roman curia, appointed him president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and, in February 2001, made him a cardinal. He died on Sept. 16 the following year, at the age of 74. Monsignor Joseph Marie Tran Thanh Phong, vicar general of Nha Trang, told UCA News on May 4 that "Cardinal Thuan deserves to be beatified because he was a humble servant who bore witness to the Good News." Monsignor Phong, 63, who was procurator of Nha Trang diocese 1967-1973, said then-Bishop Thuan was proficient in six foreign languages, "a person of great learning," as well as "kind-hearted and deeply religious." In addition, he won over people by remembering their names, faces, idiosyncrasies and even the dialects they spoke, the vicar said. He added that many Catholics, including those from other southern dioceses, came to the bishop's house to take up courses under the Cursillo, Focolare, and justice and peace movements that the Church leader promoted. An elderly Catholic man who had worked with Bishop Thuan told UCA News the prelate also founded the Nhan Vi (for people's interests) self-help group. The group attracted people from all walks of life, he recalled, but some misunderstood the bishop's activities as politically oriented. Father Joseph Nguyen The Thoai, who had worked with Bishop Thuan prior to 1975, said the late prelate, who served as the second bishop of the diocese, laid the foundations for diocesan growth. He sent young priests to study abroad, and involved clergy, laypeople and Religious in diocesan activities, the 74-year-old priest told UCA News. Father Thoai noted that the major seminary in the diocese today, constructed in the 1990s, was built using a fund Bishop Thuan established. Some lay Catholics who had worked with the cardinal prior to 1975 told UCA News he was remembered for his simplicity, sense of humor and love for others. They recalled him eating sweet potatoes and chatting with priests and laypeople at his residence. A 60-year-old Catholic woman said she had secretly visited the Church leader three times when he was detained. He shared with her his suffering, but did not express any anger toward the government, she revealed. When the prelate was detained in Giang Xa parish, northern Vietnam, which did not have a resident priest, she said, he secretly celebrated daily Mass for parishioners and taught them catechism and music. A young priest of Nha Trang told UCA News that Coadjutor Bishop Joseph Vo Duc Minh asked his priests, during their annual formation course in April, to celebrate a Mass for Cardinal Thuan's beatification. The priest confessed that he and other young people do not know much about the late Church leader. END (Accompanying photos available with the UCAN Photo Service. Use story code VT02438.1445 or a person's name to search for related photos.) Related UCAN Reports ASIA Pope Calls Cardinal Thuan 'A Shining Example' During Funeral Mass (September 23, 2002) VIETNAM Vietnamese Bishops Head To Rome For Cardinal Thuan's Funeral (September 18, 2002) ASIA Cardinal Thuan, First Vietnamese To Hold Top Vatican Office, Dead At 74 (September 17, 2002) VIETNAM New Cardinal's Witness Of Love, Forgiveness Appreciated By Vietnamese (February 27, 2001) ASIA UCAN Feature - New Vietnamese Cardinal Hopes To Return Home Someday (January 24, 2001) ASIA Pope Appoints Vietnamese Prelate As Head Of Pontifical Justice And Peace Council (June 26, 1998)