On the morning of July 2, Tac Say Parish in Phong Thanh Commune, Ca Mau Province, will host the beatification ceremony for Father Phanxico Xavie Truong Buu Diep. The ceremony will be presided over by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization of the Holy See.

The journey toward beatification

Canonization is a special religious process within the Catholic Church. The process begins with an official petition submitted on behalf of the person proposed for sainthood.

The petitioner may be an individual, a group of lay Catholics, a religious order, a bishop or a local bishops' conference where the candidate lived or served.

The candidate's documentation is then submitted to the Vatican's Dicastery for the Causes of Saints for examination. The length of the process depends on the quality and completeness of the evidence provided to support the candidate's cause.

The path to sainthood generally consists of four stages:

(1) Servant of God – The individual is formally accepted for investigation as a candidate for sainthood.

(2) Venerable – The Vatican recognizes the person's heroic virtues and declares them Venerable, although public veneration is not yet permitted.

(3) Blessed – The stage reached by Father Truong Buu Diep. A Blessed may be publicly venerated, but generally only within a specific region or community.

(4) Saint – The final stage, in which the individual is officially recognized as a saint of the universal Catholic Church and may be publicly venerated worldwide.

In line with Vietnam's policy of respecting the legitimate religious needs of its Catholic community, local authorities across the country have, since 1988, facilitated thanksgiving ceremonies, religious processions, the construction of shrines and the inclusion of saints in the Catholic liturgical calendar.

For nearly four decades, these activities have been conducted as purely religious events in accordance with Vietnamese law.

According to the Diocese of Can Tho's publication Father Phanxico Xavie Truong Buu Diep (1897-1946): Life, Character, Ministry, Death and Contemporary Significance, published by Dong Nai Publishing House, Father Truong Buu Diep was born on January 1, 1897, in Con Phuoc Parish, now part of An Giang Province, and was ordained a priest in 1924.

From 1924 to 1927, he served as an assistant priest in Cambodia. Between 1928 and 1929, he taught at Cu Lao Giang Minor Seminary in present-day An Giang Province. From March 1930 until March 1946, he served as parish priest of Tac Say Parish, now located in Phong Thanh Commune, Ca Mau Province.

He died on March 12, 1946, after being killed by two deserters from the Japanese army. An investigation conducted by the Diocese of Can Tho concluded that Father Truong Buu Diep's death was unrelated to the Viet Minh, the Indochinese Communist Party or President Ho Chi Minh.

On December 3, 2025, the Holy See officially approved the beatification ceremony for Father Truong Buu Diep.

Authorities prepare for the religious event

Following a proposal from the Diocese of Can Tho, the People's Committee of Ca Mau Province approved the beatification ceremony under Article 46 of Vietnam's Law on Belief and Religion, which governs religious ceremonies and preaching activities held outside registered places of worship.

The ceremony will take place on the morning of July 2, 2026, on land opposite Tac Say Parish, as requested by the Diocese of Can Tho.

Authorities at all levels are coordinating with the Diocese of Can Tho and Tac Say Parish to facilitate the event and welcome Catholic clergy from the Vatican and several other countries attending the ceremony.

The Ca Mau provincial government has instructed relevant agencies to ensure public security, traffic management, electricity and water supplies, healthcare services, food safety and fire prevention, reflecting Vietnam's policy of protecting religious freedom and supporting the legitimate needs of the Catholic Church in accordance with the law.

During his visit, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle will also pay a courtesy call on Minister of Ethnic and Religious Affairs Nguyen Dinh Khang at the ministry's headquarters.

The visit and religious activities mark the fourth trip by the Vatican's Prefect for Evangelization to Vietnam since 2005.

Hong Phuc