Trương Bửu Diệp

Francis Xavier Truong Buu Diep (Vietnamese: Phanxicô Xaviê Trương Bửu Diệp or Cha Diệp; January 1, 1897 – March 12, 1946) was a Vietnamese Catholic priest who served the people of Bạc Liêu Province.^[1] He was killed for the faith in 1946 and is set to be beatified in the Catholic Church.

In this Vietnamese name, the surname is Trương, but is often simplified to Truong in English-language text. In accordance with Vietnamese custom, this person should be referred to by the given name, Diệp.

Venerable Trương Bửu Diệp
A statue of Father Diệp in Tắc Sậy parish.
Born	(1897-01-01)January 1, 1897 Long Xuyên, Cochinchina, French Indochina (now An Giang, Việt Nam)
Died	March 12, 1946(1946-03-12) (aged 49) Bạc Liêu, Cochinchina, French Indochina
Beatified	12 March 2026, Cần Thơ, Vietnam

Biography

Born on January 1, 1897, in An Giang Province, Diep was ordained in 1924 after completing his studies at Phnom Penh Major Seminary in Cambodia.^[2]

Upon his return to Vietnam, Diep taught at a local seminary and served as a pastor of Tắc Sậy parish for 16 years.^[3] He also founded many parishes in Cambodia and Vietnam.^[4]

Diệp was arrested and killed in 1946 by two of three Japanese soldiers who, after the 1945 surrender of Japan, defected to Cao Triều Phát [vi]^[a], an anti-French Cao Đài resistance leader whose forces joined the Việt Minh in 1945 also.^[6] Earlier, Diệp enlisted French land surveyors to help Tắc Sậy's church reclaim encroached lands and earned the hatred of Boss Cận, the encroacher. Cận went to Phát and accused Diệp of colluding with the French who would exterminate the Cao Đài forces. Phát's two Japanese subordinates and other Cao Đài soldiers, possibly dispatched by Phát himself, imprisoned the Christians in a barn and plotted to burn them all alive, yet Diệp offered himself to be killed alone so other Christians could live; so the Japanese killed him and threw his naked and almost beheaded body into a shallow pool. Diệp's body was later drawn out and buried. Phát later had all three Japanese killed, because he either feared they would betray and likewise kill him as easily as they killed Diệp, or wanted to silence them.^[5][7][8]

Veneration

Referred to as Cha Diệp ("Father Diep"), he is venerated by devotees and even non-Christians in the Mekong Delta. His shrine in Bạc Liêu is a pilgrimage destination. Some report that they were healed after praying for his intercession and visiting his shrine.

Although Catholic, because of his supposed "supernatural powers," he is also worshipped by people of folk religions, sometimes alongside non-Christian Indigenous Vietnamese divinities.^{[citation needed]}

Canonization

In 2012, investigation was made to prepare for the canonization of Diep in the Catholic Church.^[9]

On October 31, 2014, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a nihil obstat statement approving the process for Diep's canonization.^[10]

In November 2024, Pope Francis signed a decree clearing the way for his beatification as a martyr.^[11]

Memorial

On March 12, 2016, Can Tho Diocese held the 70th anniversary of Diep's death. The event was attended by a large number of bishops – including Bishop of Can Tho Diocese, Stephen Tri Bửu Thiên; Bishop of Da Lat Diocese, Anton Vũ Huy Chương; Bishop of My Tho Diocese, Pierre Nguyễn Văn Khảm; and Bishop of Da Nang Diocese, Joseph Châu Ngọc Tri.^[12]

Notes

1. Mistakenly called "Cao Trường Phát" by two interviewed witnesses^[5]