Pope Leo XIV commemorated a newly beatified Vietnamese martyr during his Sunday Angelus address on July 5. Blessed François-Xavier Truong Buu Diep, a priest killed in 1946, was beatified at a Mass in Vietnam three days earlier. You can read Aleteia’s full report here. For Catholics in North America, this beatification is a reminder that the Church’s martyrs are not all from ancient Rome or the Reformation era. Some died within living memory, and their witness continues to shape the faith of millions.
What happened
During his midday Angelus address on July 5, Pope Leo XIV recalled the beatification of Vietnamese priest François-Xavier Truong Buu Diep, who was martyred in 1946. The beatification took place July 2 at the Tac Say Shrine in Vietnam, with Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle presiding at the Mass.
Father Truong Buu Diep was born in 1897 and served as a priest during the turbulent years following World War II. He was killed in 1946 during the religious persecution that followed the war. The beatification recognizes him as a martyr who died for the faith.
The Pope’s mention of the beatification brings international attention to Vietnam’s Catholic heritage and the price many Vietnamese Catholics paid for their faith in the mid-twentieth century. For details on the beatification ceremony, see Aleteia’s coverage.
Why this matters
Vietnam’s Catholic community has produced numerous martyrs, particularly during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The country’s 247 martyrs canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1988 are well known, but beatifications like this one highlight that persecution continued well into the modern era. Father Truong Buu Diep died just one year after World War II ended, during a period of political chaos and anti-religious violence.
Pope Leo XIV’s public remembrance signals the Vatican’s continued support for the Vietnamese Church, which remains vibrant despite past persecution. It also reminds Catholics worldwide that martyrdom is not a relic of the early Church but a contemporary reality in many parts of the world.
For Catholic readers
Pray for the Church in Vietnam and for all who face persecution for their faith today. If you want to learn more about Vietnam’s martyrs, the Vatican website hosts the official biographies of canonized saints, including the 1988 group of Vietnamese martyrs. The witness of Blessed François-Xavier Truong Buu Diep can strengthen your own resolve to live the faith courageously.
Sources:
1. Aleteia — original report
