The Church in Vietnam

United States bishops view Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen as a model of holiness and mission ahead of his beatification scheduled for September 24, 2026, in St. Louis, Missouri. Sheen will become the first bishop born in the United States to be beatified and the first television host to receive the title of blessed.

Archbishop Ronald A. Hicks of New York stated that Sheen connected the proclamation of the Gospel with the mission of the Church. According to Hicks, Sheen used radio and television programs to teach the faith and help people know, love, and serve Jesus through devotion to the Eucharist, the Word of God, and the Rosary.

Bishop John O. Barres of Rockville Centre referred to Sheen as the "Saint Paul of America" because of how he combined a contemplative life with a missionary spirit. The bishops noted that Sheen's life integrated prayer and sacrifice with evangelization, faith education, and service to the poor.

The Ủy ban Phát triển Con người Toàn diện of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Vietnam has released a Vietnamese edition of the Laudato Si’ Prayer book. The commission introduced the book to the faithful for the 2026 Season of Creation, which runs from September 1 to October 4.

The prayer collection originated from the Laudato Si’ Movement, a global network of Catholic organizations. The book gathers prayers intended to support individuals and pastoral communities in their ecological conversion. This Vietnamese version was produced and distributed with permission from the Laudato Si’ Movement.

Pope Leo XIV met with members of the Leo XIV International Study Center on September 18, 2026, to encourage the group to use critical thinking and dialogue to help build a civilization of love. The center, which was established in December 2025, is an initiative of the Augustinian Order.

Based in the Santo Spirito monastery in Florence, the center focuses on research, training, and culture, specifically regarding international relations and public life. The Pope encouraged the center to promote training in politics and public life as a way to serve the common good and build peace. He also invited the center to engage in dialogue with universities, academic institutions, public bodies, civil society organizations, and Church networks.

The center collaborates with the Theological Faculty of Central Italy and the Pontifical Patristic Institute Augustinianum. The Pope noted that the choice of Florence as a home for the center serves as an invitation to draw inspiration from humanism and a vision open to the Creator.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, called for international cooperation to create common rules for governing artificial intelligence. Speaking on the sidelines of the "Faith and Reason in the Age of Artificial Intelligence" conference at the Italian Parliament in Rome on Sept. 16, Parolin expressed concern that some countries may attempt to regulate the technology independently rather than through global consensus.

Parolin noted that because artificial intelligence is a global phenomenon, it requires the participation of all nations and supranational organizations. He expressed support for a recent appeal by Italian President Sergio Mattarella regarding the responsibility of states to manage new technologies. While Parolin stated the Holy See's role is to present guiding principles rather than immediate technical solutions, he urged people to reflect seriously on the potential consequences and risks of using AI.

Addressing journalists, Parolin commented on the ethical motivations of large technology corporations that have called for self-regulation, stating he hopes these companies are driven by genuine ethical considerations. He also noted that he does not use AI to draft his homilies, suggesting the technology lacks human emotion.

Caritas Vietnam held a training program from September 12 to 15, 2026, to teach 60 participants how to protect young people from technological risks. The sessions took place at the Hue Archdiocese Pastoral Center and included priests, sisters, collaborators, and 14 seminarians from 10 different dioceses.

The training covered children's rights, laws, and positive discipline methods. It specifically focused on skills to protect children in digital spaces against threats such as online scams, kidnapping, and abuse. Participants engaged in discussions to resolve practical issues and share experiences to improve their ministry work with children.

The Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments permitted 34 dioceses to celebrate the traditional Latin Mass in parish churches during 2025. This number is unchanged from the 34 dioceses permitted in 2024.

According to the Summarium Decretorum of 2025, these permissions allow for the celebration of Mass using the 1962 Missal. The United States accounted for 24 of the 34 decrees. Of the total decrees issued in 2025, 27 were released after the election of Pope Leo XIV on May 8, while seven were issued during the reign of Pope Francis.

Some decrees permitted the extraordinary form in multiple parishes within a diocese. These permissions follow the restrictions on the extraordinary form established by Pope Francis in the 2021 apostolic letter Traditionis Custodes.

The UK House of Commons rejected the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on September 11, 2026, with 286 votes against and 270 votes in favor. The proposed law would have allowed terminally ill adults in England and Wales with a life expectancy of less than six months to request assisted dying.

Under the amended bill presented by MP Lauren Edwards, applicants would have needed approval from two doctors and an expert committee. The government remained neutral during the vote, allowing members of Parliament to vote according to their conscience.

Bishops from the Catholic Church in England and Wales welcomed the decision. During the legislative process, Church representatives emphasized the need to protect vulnerable people and called for increased access to high-quality palliative care.

The Diocese of Kontum and the Diocese of Bà Ria published a message to admirers of Cardinal F.X. Nguyễn Văn Thuận on the 24th anniversary of his death.

The message, released on September 16, 2026, was sent by a group petitioning for his beatification to those who admire the cardinal around the world.

The Pope has decided to allocate additional area within Vatican City to accommodate the Apostolic Archive and the Vatican Apostolic Library. This decision follows a significant increase in the Holy See's bibliographic collections and document volumes over recent decades.

The Pope also requested the construction of a new building to meet the preservation and service requirements of both institutions.

Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick announced that the 2027 World Youth Day in Seoul will be an environmentally friendly event.

The Archbishop of Seoul shared this plan as the Archdiocese of Seoul increases its cooperation with the South Korean government regarding climate action.

Pope Pius X set the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows for September 15, the day after the feast of the Holy Cross.

According to reports from the Diocese of Hà Tinh and Famiglia Cristiana, this decision changed the name of the observance from the Seven Sorrows of Mary to Our Lady of Sorrows. While Pope Pius VII introduced the devotion into the Roman calendar in 1814, Pius X established the specific date of September 15.

The first West African Youth Day concluded in Accra, Ghana, on September 11, 2026, with Archbishop Julien Kaboré calling on Catholic young people to act as agents of peace and hope. During the closing Mass at the Holy Spirit Cathedral of the Archdiocese of Accra, the Apostolic Nuncio to Ghana urged participants to reject violence, hatred, and manipulation stemming from political, ethnic, or religious divisions.

Archbishop Kaboré addressed the theme of the gathering, which encouraged youth to take courage despite the fears and uncertainties facing their generation. He told the young people that the future of the 16 countries in West Africa depends on their ability to use their energy and talents for the common good. The Archbishop noted that while the participants represented various languages, cultures, and dioceses, they share a common identity as the sons and daughters of the region.

Father G.B. Phương Đình Toại, a member of the Camillian Order, serves children living with HIV.

The Camillian priest views media not as a tool to gain followers, but as a way to offer himself to others through direct encounters.

Sao Bien Major Seminary began the 2026-2027 academic year following a summer break. The new term brings seminarians back to their classes, prayer schedules, and community life.

The seminary will host 200 seminarians, including 6 monks from the Xitô Abbey.

Catholic bishops in the United States celebrated Mass and prayed for the victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks to mark the 25th anniversary of the tragedy.

During the commemorations, the bishops reflected on the lessons learned from the attacks and urged the faithful not to let hatred take root. Paul S. Coakley, Archbishop of Oklahoma and president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), called on believers and people of goodwill to act as witnesses and builders of peace throughout the world.

Archbishop Ronald Hicks of New York recalled the faith that supported people during the terrorist attacks 25 years ago.

The Archbishop noted that faith helped individuals cope with the day the attacks killed nearly 3,000 people in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C. He also highlighted the memorials used to mark the anniversary and stated that people are never alone even during tragedies.