Joseph Ngô Quang Kiệt
 |
His Excellency Joseph Ngô Quang Kiêt | |
|---|---|
| Archbishop Emeritus of Hanoi | |
 | |
| Native name | Giuse Ngô Quang Kiệt |
| Church | Roman Catholic |
| Archdiocese | Hanoi |
| Appointed | 19 February 2005 |
| In office | 2005-2010 |
| Successor | Peter Nguyễn Văn Nhơn |
| Previous post(s) | Bishop of Lang Són and Cao Bang (1999-2003) Apostolic Administrator of Hà Nôi (2003-2005) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 31 May 1991 by Jean-Baptiste Bui Tuân |
| Consecration | 29 June 1999 by Jean-Baptiste Bui Tuân |
| Rank | Archbishop |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 4 September 1952 |
| Nationality | Vietnamese |
Joseph Ngô Quang Kiệt (born 4 September 1952 in Lạng Sơn Province, Vietnam) is the Archbishop Emeritus of Hanoi. In 1993, he studied at the Institut Catholique de Paris, France. He was appointed archbishop of Hanoi in 2005, succeeding Paul Joseph Phạm Đình Tụng. Prior to his appointment as archbishop, he served as apostolic administrator in the Vietnamese capital.
In early 2010, then 57-year-old Archbishop Ngô submitted his resignation to Pope Benedict XVI. The archbishop reportedly had been suffering from stress and insomnia. Ngô denied rumors that he had been pressured to step down after he asked Catholics in 2007 to pray for the government to return the former apostolic nunciature to the church. He also had criticized Hanoi city authorities for building a flower garden on the premises without local church approval. "I am personally under no pressure from any side," the archbishop said in the interview, which was reported by UCA News, the Asian Catholic news agency.[1] In 2008, the mayor of Hanoi had previously asked that the archbishop be removed from office.[2]
AsiaNews, a Rome-based Catholic news agency, reported 11 May that the archbishop would step down and hypothesized that he would do so because Vietnam’s communist government made his ouster a condition for launching full diplomatic relations with the Vatican. For at least two years, AsiaNews said, Ngo "has been the focus of a regime campaign to have him removed. Indeed, the prelate has always supported the requests and the prayers of the faithful of Hanoi who suffer oppression, expropriation of land, churches and cemeteries, along with gratuitous violence."[3]
On 22 April 2010, 72-year-old Pierre Nguyễn Văn Nhơn, formerly bishop of Đà Lạt, was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Hanoi by Pope Benedict XVI.[4] Pope Benedict accepted Archbishop Ngô Quang Kiệt's resignation on 13 May 2010.
Archbishop Nguyên Van Nhon succeeded to the see on 13 May 2010[5]
Quote
- "Religious freedom is a right, is not a gift 'ask – give' " (Religious freedom is a human right. It's not a grace which government bestowed upon the citizen.)
References
- ^ Archdiocese of Baltimore: "Pope accepts resignation of 57-year-old Hanoi archbishop" The Catholic Review 13 May 2010
- ^ "Mayor of Hanoi calls for removal of Archbishop Kiet" 17 October 2008
- ^ Archdiocese of Baltimore: "Pope accepts resignation of 57-year-old Hanoi archbishop" The Catholic Review 13 May 2010
- ^ Press Office of the Holy See Archived 28 April 2010 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ RINUNCIA E SUCCESSIONE DELL’ARCIVESCOVO DI HÀ NÔI (VIETNAM) Archived 17 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine