The Archdiocese of Hanoi consists of several suffragan dioceses, including Bắc Ninh, Bùi Chu, Hải Phòng, Thái Bình, Lạng Sơn & Cao Bằng, Hưng Hóa, Phát Diệm, Thanh Hóa, Vinh, and Hà Tĩnh. The main cathedral of the archdiocese is St. Joseph Cathedral, a magnificent neo-Gothic structure built in 1886.
St. Joseph Cathedral holds multiple masses throughout the day and attracts a large number of worshippers, especially on weekends and religious holidays. In 2004, during the Christmas holiday, more than 4,000 visitors came to the cathedral. The Archdiocese of Hanoi had approximately 282,886 believers, making up 5.3% of the population, with 59 priests and 132 parishes in 2004.
The Archdiocese of Hanoi has a sister diocese relationship with the Diocese of Orange County in the United States since 2008. Additionally, young Catholics from the Archdiocese of Hanoi, together with those from the Archdiocese of Ho Chi Minh City, formed an organization in 2006 to help children in rural and underdeveloped areas of Vietnam.
Hanoi is home to three major churches, including St. Joseph Cathedral, Cua Bac Church, and Hàm Long Church. Cua Bac Church, also known as the Northern Gate Church, holds regular sermons and services in English, attracting expats and tourists.
In November 2006, Cua Bac Church was the venue for a joint worship service of Vietnamese Catholics and Protestants, attended by the United States President George W. Bush during his official visit to Vietnam.
In December 2007, thousands of Vietnamese Catholics marched in procession to the former apostolic nunciature in Hanoi, which had been confiscated by the communist government in 1959. They prayed there twice, expressing their desire to return the property to the local Church. However, despite their protests, the authorities decided to convert the building into a library and create a public park around it.
There have been instances of tension between the Catholic community and the government. Archbishop Emeritus Ngo Quang Kiet was purportedly pressured to retire by government officials, although he stated that his retirement was due to stress and insomnia. Pope Benedict XVI accepted his retirement on May 10, 2010, and he was succeeded by Coadjutor Archbishop Nguyên Van Nhon.
On November 17, 2018, Archbishop Joseph Vũ Văn Thiên, who was Bishop of Hải Phòng at the time, was appointed as the new Archbishop of Hanoi by Pope Francis. Cardinal Nguyễn Văn Nhơn's resignation was accepted by Pope Francis on the same day.
This concludes our visit to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hanoi. Thank you for your attention, and please gather your belongings as we move on to our next stop.
