TLM - Messe de Noël 1954 (Vietnam) скачать в хорошем качестве

TLM - Messe de Noël 1954 (Vietnam)

Catholic Christmas Traditional Latin Mass in a refugee camp in the South where northerners celebrated mass. In 1954 Vietnam was divided at the 17th parallel into two zones: The North, controlled by the Viet Minh (Democratic Republic of Vietnam). The South, controlled by the French-backed State of Vietnam (later the Republic of Vietnam). Civilians were given 300 days (from July 1954 to May 1955) to move freely between North and South before the border was closed. During this time, hundreds of thousands of people relocated: Around 900,000–1,000,000 people (mostly Catholics) moved from North to South, often assisted by U.S. Navy ships in “Operation Passage to Freedom.” Most Catholic refugees came from the Red River Delta in the North, where Catholic communities had long existed due to French missionary influence. Initially, many refugees lived in temporary camps near Saigon, Bien Hoa, Vũng Tàu, and other ports where they landed. Over time, the government and Catholic Church (both Vietnamese clergy and international Catholic aid groups) helped establish resettlement villages in rural areas. Faith was the cornerstone of community life, so chapels were often the first permanent structures built in the refugee camps. At first, chapels were makeshift buildings: bamboo, thatch, or wooden sheds serving as mass sites. As communities stabilized, they built larger parish churches, often with aid from foreign Catholic organizations (notably from France, the U.S., and Caritas). These chapels became more than religious centers — they served as community halls, schools, and relief distribution points. Some resettlement villages eventually developed prominent churches that remain landmarks today. Catholic refugees tended to be staunchly anti-communist, and the South Vietnamese government (under Ngô Đình Diệm, himself a Catholic) used these communities as political and military strongholds. The Church helped organize education, healthcare, and social services in the camps, reinforcing Catholic identity in the South.