Joseph Nguyễn Chí Linh (Vietnamese: Giuse Nguyễn Chí Linh; born 22 November 1949) is a Vietnamese prelate of the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
who has been a bishop since 2004 and the
Archbishop of Huế since 2016.
Biography
He was born Nguyễn Chí Linh in Ba Lang,
Nghi Sơn,
Thanh Hóa Province,
Bắc Trung Bộ,
Vietnam
Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
, on 22 November 1949,
[ the son of Thiher Giaia and Thanh Hóa, Christians from a modest background. While very young, he fled with his family, their fellow villagers, and most of the Christians of the region fled the area and reestablished Christian communities in the southern part of the country.][ He studied at the minor seminary Stella Maris of Nha Trang from 1962 to 1967, at the Provvidenza College in Hué from 1967 to 1968, at the Good Shepherd College in Nha Trang (1968-1970), and at the Pontifical College in Dalat from 1970 to 1977.][ From 1977 to 1992, while seminaries were closed in Vietnam, he returned to his family and at a variety of jobs while also serving an internship in the parish of Song My, Phan Rang, Ninh Thuan.][
On 20 December 1992 he was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Nha Trang. He then worked in the parish of Phuoc Thien from 1992 to 1995. From 1995 to 2003, he studied at the ]Institut Catholique de Paris
The Institut catholique de Paris (, abbr. ICP), known in English as the Catholic University of Paris (and in Latin as ''Universitas catholica Parisiensis''), is a private university located in Paris, France.
History: 1875–present
The Institut ...
, earning a doctorate in philosophy with a thesis on Maurice Blondel
Maurice Blondel (; ; 2 November 1861 – 4 June 1949) was a French philosopher, whose most influential works, notably ''L'Action'', aimed at establishing the correct relationship between autonomous philosophical reasoning and Christian belief.
...
.[ In November 2003 he returned to his home diocese in Vietnam and taught as a professor at the Seminary of Nha Trang.][
On 12 June 2004, ]Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005.
In his you ...
appointed him Bishop of Thanh Hóa
Thanh Hóa () is the capital of Thanh Hóa Province. The city is situated in the east of the province on the Ma River (Sông Mã), about 150 kilometers (93 miles) south of capital Hanoi and 1560 kilometers (969 miles) north of Ho Chi Minh Cit ...
.[ from Paul Nguyễn Văn Hòa, Bishop of Nha Trang. Within the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Vietnam, he headed the commission on the laity from 2004 to 2007 and the commission for the pastoral care of migrants from 2013 to 2015. He was twice elected to a three-year term as vice-president of the Conference, serving from 2007 to 2013.]Pope Francis
Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until Death and funeral of Pope Francis, his death in 2025. He was the fi ...
named him Archbishop of Huế and Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Thanh Hoa. He took possession of the Archdiocese on 12 January 2017. His responsibilities in Thanh Hóa ended with the installation of a bishop there in June 2018.
Linh was elected President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Vietnam on 5 October 2016, shortly before his transfer to Hue. In that role he has led the nation's bishops in warning against the use of "quasi-magical" practices in liturgies, notably healing services associated with charismatic devotions.[ Includes timeline.]
See also
*Catholic Church in Vietnam
The Catholic Church in Vietnam () is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership Pope in Holy See, Rome. Vietnam has the fifth largest Catholic population in Asia, after the Philippines, India, People's Republic of China ...
Notes
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Nguyễn, Joseph, Chí Linh
1949 births
Living people
21st-century Roman Catholic archbishops in Vietnam
People from Thanh Hóa province
Institut Catholique de Paris alumni
Vietnamese Roman Catholic archbishops
Vietnamese Roman Catholic bishops
Bishops appointed by Pope John Paul II