In Vietnam, the country with the highest rate of abortion in the world, where abortion is seen by the government as the major measure for birth control, more and more women seek quick abortion, the Church faces an uphill battle to fight against this anti-life mentality. Church officials acknowledge the fatigue suffered by many Catholic priests in their pro-life efforts. However, hope is never extinguished.
In the article “Good Morning, Vietnamese Hero”, The National Catholic Register (May 18-24, 2008 Issue) tells the story of a Vietnamese Catholic Prolife Hero who has saved more than 60 babies from abortions.
On July 13, 2004, Tong Phuoc Phuc, a 41-year-old Catholic building contractor in the coastal town of Nha Trang, took home a pregnant girl who was evicted by her parents and had no place to go. Like other unwed pregnant women, the girl went to a state-run hospital with an intention to get a quick and free abortion. She had seen it as the only “right choice” to save face for her parents. But, she met with Phuc who persuaded her to seek an alternative. Phuc even went further providing residence and financial support for her until she gave birth and once again was welcomed home by her parents.
It was not Phuc prolife act. Since 2002, doctors and nurses had seen him come to their hospitals regularly to collect aborted babies and bury them at a cemetery.
Soon after he saved the first baby, more and more pregnant women knocked at his doors to ask for help. Putting his trust in God’s hands, he opens wide his door for them, supports food and basic needs. With unwed mothers, he offers residence as the alternative of residing away from their locality for the later months of pregnancy in anonymity.
In Vietnam, a country without welfare benefits, if you can work, you have something to put in your mouth, and of course pay tax for the government. If you cannot work anymore, you beg on streets and stop paying tax for them. If you even cannot beg, you die. They do not care. So, people at his age must work hard trying to save money for future uncertainties. But he and his wife work hard and then spend most of their money to save babies. They put their trusts completely in God’s hands.
“This full-time service involves Phuc’s entire family and some volunteers from his parish. His older sister and his nieces help prepare food and infant formula for 34 babies while some parishioners sing soothing Vietnamese lullaby to calm crying kids. In the past 4 years, he has taken in 60 children, 26 of them have been taken home with their mothers. He takes care for the rest until their mothers can afford to take them,” the National Catholic Register reports.
Phuc does not consider to put any of the children up for adoption. “I want them to be reunited with their mothers”, Phuc explains.
Bishop Joseph Vo Duc Minh, coadjutor bishop of Nha Trang, warmly praises Phuc’s work: “It’s a great pro-life innovation. I have come to his house several times to encourage his work and to pray with him.”
But not all people appreciate his work as Bishop Joseph Vo. Phuc has faced many uphill challenges.
“Some people do not like his work. Some of them believe that premarital sex is evil that should be punished. They falsely accuse Phuc of condoning premarital sex. Others suspect his work as a means to seek conversions. So, there have been unending rumors against him” says the Register.
In respond to the rumors, “I do not reply them. Instead, I pray more intensive asking the Lord to give me strength and courage to be His faithful servant” says Phuc who attends daily 5 am Mass at Nha Trang cathedral.
Another challenge is that the easy availability of abortions, combined with many other factors, keeps building up temptations for the women living in the shelter to terminate their crisis pregnancies and return to the normal life.
“They need to experience God’s love through our warm assistance, soft words and delicate gestures” says Phuc when asked how he can keep the women staying in the shelter and not to silently leave for abortions.
In the living room of 904- square foot where people can hear the constant chorus of crying, coughing and cooing, Phuc built a beautiful altar adorned with a large crucifix, the Virgin Mary and a photo of the late Pope John Paul II. Opposite to the altar is a large table where the women gather for family-style meals, for exchanging stories of broken hearts and hard lives, and for sharing cooking tips.
“In this house, I experience true love”, says Nguyen Thi Ngoc Thao, a Buddhist mother of two who was thrown out by her husband when she refused to terminate her pregnancy.
In the article “Good Morning, Vietnamese Hero”, The National Catholic Register (May 18-24, 2008 Issue) tells the story of a Vietnamese Catholic Prolife Hero who has saved more than 60 babies from abortions.
On July 13, 2004, Tong Phuoc Phuc, a 41-year-old Catholic building contractor in the coastal town of Nha Trang, took home a pregnant girl who was evicted by her parents and had no place to go. Like other unwed pregnant women, the girl went to a state-run hospital with an intention to get a quick and free abortion. She had seen it as the only “right choice” to save face for her parents. But, she met with Phuc who persuaded her to seek an alternative. Phuc even went further providing residence and financial support for her until she gave birth and once again was welcomed home by her parents.
It was not Phuc prolife act. Since 2002, doctors and nurses had seen him come to their hospitals regularly to collect aborted babies and bury them at a cemetery.
Soon after he saved the first baby, more and more pregnant women knocked at his doors to ask for help. Putting his trust in God’s hands, he opens wide his door for them, supports food and basic needs. With unwed mothers, he offers residence as the alternative of residing away from their locality for the later months of pregnancy in anonymity.
In Vietnam, a country without welfare benefits, if you can work, you have something to put in your mouth, and of course pay tax for the government. If you cannot work anymore, you beg on streets and stop paying tax for them. If you even cannot beg, you die. They do not care. So, people at his age must work hard trying to save money for future uncertainties. But he and his wife work hard and then spend most of their money to save babies. They put their trusts completely in God’s hands.
“This full-time service involves Phuc’s entire family and some volunteers from his parish. His older sister and his nieces help prepare food and infant formula for 34 babies while some parishioners sing soothing Vietnamese lullaby to calm crying kids. In the past 4 years, he has taken in 60 children, 26 of them have been taken home with their mothers. He takes care for the rest until their mothers can afford to take them,” the National Catholic Register reports.
Phuc does not consider to put any of the children up for adoption. “I want them to be reunited with their mothers”, Phuc explains.
Bishop Joseph Vo Duc Minh, coadjutor bishop of Nha Trang, warmly praises Phuc’s work: “It’s a great pro-life innovation. I have come to his house several times to encourage his work and to pray with him.”
But not all people appreciate his work as Bishop Joseph Vo. Phuc has faced many uphill challenges.
“Some people do not like his work. Some of them believe that premarital sex is evil that should be punished. They falsely accuse Phuc of condoning premarital sex. Others suspect his work as a means to seek conversions. So, there have been unending rumors against him” says the Register.
In respond to the rumors, “I do not reply them. Instead, I pray more intensive asking the Lord to give me strength and courage to be His faithful servant” says Phuc who attends daily 5 am Mass at Nha Trang cathedral.
Another challenge is that the easy availability of abortions, combined with many other factors, keeps building up temptations for the women living in the shelter to terminate their crisis pregnancies and return to the normal life.
“They need to experience God’s love through our warm assistance, soft words and delicate gestures” says Phuc when asked how he can keep the women staying in the shelter and not to silently leave for abortions.
In the living room of 904- square foot where people can hear the constant chorus of crying, coughing and cooing, Phuc built a beautiful altar adorned with a large crucifix, the Virgin Mary and a photo of the late Pope John Paul II. Opposite to the altar is a large table where the women gather for family-style meals, for exchanging stories of broken hearts and hard lives, and for sharing cooking tips.
“In this house, I experience true love”, says Nguyen Thi Ngoc Thao, a Buddhist mother of two who was thrown out by her husband when she refused to terminate her pregnancy.