Catholic in America
Identity politics and tribal thinking has become America's dominant paradigm. Why has the respect for genuine civic friendship and the common good waned? What are the set of moral and spiritual principles needed to reclaim or reimagine what has been lost? How do we use them to make right judgments about our world and to move forward with clarity and joy? The answer is at the heart of the Catholic faith and its social doctrine: rediscovering our common identity as children of the Father, the One who created us for love. Join Jason Adkins, host of Catholic in America, to engage our own time, culture, and political milieu with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to explore how to live more fully Catholic.
Catholic in America
Imprisoned for 13 Years. How Did He Become a Man of Joy and Hope?
Cardinal Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan was imprisoned for 13 years, nine of those in solitary confinement, by Vietnam’s communist regime. But from the darkness of a prison cell, he became one of the Church’s most radiant witnesses of hope, reconciliation, and Eucharistic faith.
In this unforgettable episode of Catholic in America, host Jason Adkins speaks with Elisabeth Nguyen, the Cardinal’s youngest sister and co-author of a new biography, Cardinal Van Thuan: A Man of Hope and Joy (Ignatius Press). Elisabeth shares powerful family stories and spiritual insights into how her brother carried the cross with Christ, forgave his persecutors, and brought Jesus to others even behind bars.
Topics Covered:
- The political and spiritual context of Cardinal Van Thuan’s arrest
- How he said Mass with smuggled wine and hosts
- The “1,001 Messages of Hope” that inspired the Vietnamese underground Church
- How he forgave those who betrayed his family
- His influence on the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
- Why his story is especially relevant to today’s divided world
- The role of his family, especially his mother, in forming a faithful priest
- How Eucharistic devotion and Vietnamese spirituality shaped his witness
This episode is both a family testimony and a challenge to all Catholics to live the Gospel with deeper trust, boldness, and joy, even in the face of suffering.
📚 Resources Mentioned
Book: Cardinal Van Thuan: A Man of Hope and Joy
https://ignatius.com/cardinal-nguyen-van-thuan-cfntp/
Vatican Website on Cardinal Nguyen Van Thuan
https://www.cardinalvanthuan.va/en.html
Salt + Light TV Documentary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uO_N7LQXjBY
Jason Adkins, host of Catholic in America, engages our own time, culture, and political milieu with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to explore how to live more fully Catholic. With so much to explore, we have guests from a variety of perspectives and faith backgrounds, and conversations do not necessarily constitute endorsements.
Catholic in America is an OSVNews.com podcast partnership. Support Catholic in America by becoming a patron of the show here.
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