During Pope John Paul II’s Spiritual Exercises in March 2000, Vietnamese Archbishop Francois Xavier Nguyen Van Thuân preached on the Eucharist with stories from his 13 years in prison at the hands of the communists.
He said: “When they imprisoned me in 1975, a terrible question came to my mind: `Will I be able to celebrate Mass?'”
The former archbishop of Saigon explained that when he was arrested, he was not permitted to take any of his personal belongings. However, the following day he was allowed to write his family to request essentials like clothes and toothpaste.
He wrote, “Please send me some wine as medication for my stomach problems.” His family understood immediately what he wanted, and they sent him a small bottle labeled “Medicine for Stomach Ache.” They also concealed some hosts among his clothes.
![Text Box: Archbishop Francois Wavier Nguyen Van Thuân]()
![Image result for bishop francois xavier nguyen van thuan]()
The police asked him: “Do you have a stomach problem?” He replied that he did. “Then here is your medicine.”
He said, “I shall never be able to express my joy. Every day I celebrated Mass with three drops of wine and one drop of water in the palm of my hand. Every day I was able to kneel before the Cross with Jesus, drink with him his most bitter chalice. Every day, when reciting the Consecration, I confirmed with all my heart and with all my soul a new pact, an eternal pact between Jesus and me, through his blood mixed with mine. They were the most beautiful Masses of my life.”
Later, the archbishop was assigned to a group of 50 prisoners. They slept in a common bunk. Each one had the right to 50 centimeters (19.66 inches) of space. He said, “We arranged it so that five Catholics were next to me. Lights went out at 21:30 and everyone had to go to sleep. In bed, I celebrated Mass by heart, and distributed Communion by passing my hand under the mosquito net. We made envelopes with cigar paper to conserve the Most Blessed Sacrament. I always carried the Eucharistic Christ in the pocket of my shirt.”
With the help of his Catholic companions, the archbishop gradually passed the Eucharist to dozens of other prisoners. “They all knew Jesus was among them, and that He cures all physical and mental sufferings. At night, the prisoners took turns at Adoration. The Eucharistic Christ helped in an unimaginable way with His silent presence: Many Catholics began to believe again enthusiastically. Their testimony of service and love made an ever-greater impact on the other prisoners, and even some Buddhists and non-Christians embraced the faith. Jesus’ force is irresistible. The darkness of the prison became a paschal light.”
For the archbishop, “Jesus began a revolution on the cross. The revolution of the civilization of love must begin in the Eucharist, and from here it must derive its force.”
That is the power of the Eucharist. How often do we even begin to approach the gratitude we should feel for such a gift?
He wrote in his book “The Road of Hope: thoughts of light from a prison cell” (1997): While in prison, everyone waits for freedom, every day, every minute. We must live each day, each minute of our life as though it is the last.
Note: On 21 November 1988, Nguyen Van Thuân was released by the communist government but kept under house arrest in Hânoi, impeded to return to his see, Hô-Chi-Minh-Ville (ex-Saigon). He was allowed to go on a visit to Rome in 1991, but not allowed to return.
On 21 February 2001, Nguyễn Văn Thuận was created a Cardinal Deacon of Santa Maria della Scala. Within a week, Viêt Nam’s Foreign Ministry eased restrictions and the Cardinal could enter his native country with only routine immigration procedures and was afforded all the privileges normally given to overseas citizens.
Nguyễn Văn Thuận died of cancer in a clinic in Rome, Italy, on 16 September 2002, at the age of 74.
Prior to his death, he had appeared on lists of possible successors to Pope John Paul II.
On 16 September 2007, the fifth anniversary of the cardinal’s death, the Church began the beatification process. Pope Benedict XVI expressed “profound joy” at news of the official opening of the beatification cause. Roman Catholics in Vietnam also positively received the news on beatification process opening for the cardinal. In the words of a catechist from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Ho Chi Minh City, “Nguyen Van Thuan is an example of holiness for Vietnamese Catholics and for the entire world.”
A Man’s Love for the Holy Mass
During Pope John Paul II’s Spiritual Exercises in March 2000, Vietnamese Archbishop Francois Xavier Nguyen Van Thuân preached on the Eucharist with stories from his 13 years in prison at the hands of the communists.
He said: “When they imprisoned me in 1975, a terrible question came to my mind: `Will I be able to celebrate Mass?'”
The former archbishop of Saigon explained that when he was arrested, he was not permitted to take any of his personal belongings. However, the following day he was allowed to write his family to request essentials like clothes and toothpaste.
He wrote, “Please send me some wine as medication for my stomach problems.” His family understood immediately what he wanted, and they sent him a small bottle labeled “Medicine for Stomach Ache.” They also concealed some hosts among his clothes.
He said, “I shall never be able to express my joy. Every day I celebrated Mass with three drops of wine and one drop of water in the palm of my hand. Every day I was able to kneel before the Cross with Jesus, drink with him his most bitter chalice. Every day, when reciting the Consecration, I confirmed with all my heart and with all my soul a new pact, an eternal pact between Jesus and me, through his blood mixed with mine. They were the most beautiful Masses of my life.”
Later, the archbishop was assigned to a group of 50 prisoners. They slept in a common bunk. Each one had the right to 50 centimeters (19.66 inches) of space. He said, “We arranged it so that five Catholics were next to me. Lights went out at 21:30 and everyone had to go to sleep. In bed, I celebrated Mass by heart, and distributed Communion by passing my hand under the mosquito net. We made envelopes with cigar paper to conserve the Most Blessed Sacrament. I always carried the Eucharistic Christ in the pocket of my shirt.”
With the help of his Catholic companions, the archbishop gradually passed the Eucharist to dozens of other prisoners. “They all knew Jesus was among them, and that He cures all physical and mental sufferings. At night, the prisoners took turns at Adoration. The Eucharistic Christ helped in an unimaginable way with His silent presence: Many Catholics began to believe again enthusiastically. Their testimony of service and love made an ever-greater impact on the other prisoners, and even some Buddhists and non-Christians embraced the faith. Jesus’ force is irresistible. The darkness of the prison became a paschal light.”
For the archbishop, “Jesus began a revolution on the cross. The revolution of the civilization of love must begin in the Eucharist, and from here it must derive its force.”
That is the power of the Eucharist. How often do we even begin to approach the gratitude we should feel for such a gift?
He wrote in his book “The Road of Hope: thoughts of light from a prison cell” (1997): While in prison, everyone waits for freedom, every day, every minute. We must live each day, each minute of our life as though it is the last.
Note: On 21 November 1988, Nguyen Van Thuân was released by the communist government but kept under house arrest in Hânoi, impeded to return to his see, Hô-Chi-Minh-Ville (ex-Saigon). He was allowed to go on a visit to Rome in 1991, but not allowed to return.
On 21 February 2001, Nguyễn Văn Thuận was created a Cardinal Deacon of Santa Maria della Scala. Within a week, Viêt Nam’s Foreign Ministry eased restrictions and the Cardinal could enter his native country with only routine immigration procedures and was afforded all the privileges normally given to overseas citizens.
Nguyễn Văn Thuận died of cancer in a clinic in Rome, Italy, on 16 September 2002, at the age of 74.
Prior to his death, he had appeared on lists of possible successors to Pope John Paul II.
On 16 September 2007, the fifth anniversary of the cardinal’s death, the Church began the beatification process. Pope Benedict XVI expressed “profound joy” at news of the official opening of the beatification cause. Roman Catholics in Vietnam also positively received the news on beatification process opening for the cardinal. In the words of a catechist from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Ho Chi Minh City, “Nguyen Van Thuan is an example of holiness for Vietnamese Catholics and for the entire world.”
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