A senior Vatican official urged Christians to reject falsehood and bear witness to the truth during the beatification Mass of Vietnamese Father Francis Xavier Truong Buu Diep on July 2.
Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle, pro-prefect for the Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches of the Dicastery for Evangelization, said the world needs people who have the courage to live the Gospel.
The prelate delivered the homily as the papal legate at the Tac Say Pilgrimage Center in southern Vietnam. The Vatican recognized Father Truong Buu Diep as a martyr who gave his life in fidelity to Christ, clearing the way for his beatification.
“Our world today urgently needs people who dare to bear witness to the truth. Let us not live for violence, hatred, division, provocation, or falsehood,” said Tagle.
He urged the faithful to examine the choices they make each day. “Will you bear witness to Christ, or will you continue spreading falsehoods?” he asked.
“Will you choose to live according to Jesus’ example of charity, or will you choose another path? Will you be satisfied with personal success and fame, or will you take pride in bearing the name of the Lord?” he added.
Tagle said martyrdom is not simply about death. It means accepting death for the truth, for the name of the Lord, and as a witness to Jesus Christ.
“When someone is willing to lay down his or her life for the Lord, that witness becomes more credible than any sermon,” he said.
“A martyr is a remarkable missionary because his or her very life bears witness to Christ,” he added.
He described Blessed Francis Xavier Truong Buu Diep as a priest who never hesitated to live charity and witness to the truth.
He said the Vietnamese priest loved the poor, devoted himself to serving others, welcomed people who did not yet know Christ, and remained with his flock instead of seeking safety when danger came.
He contrasted Christian discipleship with the pursuit of wealth, recognition, and power. “If you choose Jesus Christ, you are blessed,” he said.
The Filipino cardinal urged Catholics to examine what forms the foundation of their lives. “Will you build your life on the riches of this world or on the riches of God?” Tagle asked.
“Will you seek fame and the likes and shares of social media, or will you place your trust in God? Will you choose weapons that bring war, or will you receive the gift of Christ himself, who brings true peace?” he added.
Tagle said Christian hope rests in the resurrection of Christ rather than in earthly success. “The world may forget us, but the Risen Jesus will never forget those who belong to him,” he said.
Father Truong Buu Diep was killed on March 12, 1946, during the violence that followed World War II in southern Vietnam. He refused requests to leave his parish in Tac Say as armed conflict spread across the Mekong Delta.
When armed men rounded up dozens of parishioners, he intervened on their behalf and offered himself in an effort to save their lives. He was taken away and never returned. The detained parishioners were later released.
The identity of his killers remains disputed because of the chaotic conditions at the time. Different accounts attribute the killing to various armed factions active in the region.
His body was later recovered with fatal wounds and was eventually transferred to Tac Say, where his tomb became one of Vietnam’s best-known pilgrimage sites.
The Vatican recognized in 2024 that Father Truong Buu Diep had been killed in odium fidei (“in hatred of the faith”), clearing the way for his beatification.
Tagle described the new Blessed as “God’s gift to the whole Church and to the entire human family.”
