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05-09-2006, 02:45 PM
October 23
Saint Paul TỐNG VIẾT BƯỜNG
Corporal, Royal Security Guard
(1773-1833)
* A Nighttime Sacrificial Mass.
Saint Paul Tống Viết Bường, whose nighttime execution (by decapitation) is the most unique of all executions (by decapitation), was a royal bodyguard having distinguished himself with King Minh Mạng that the king wanted the death march to be very quiet. The “death-row” inmate was not informed of his execution until 5:00 PM, but at that precise moment, bodyguard Bường considered it a “once in a lifetime” opportunity. On the way to the execution field in an evening of late October when light faded away even before it started, he tried different ways to slow down the march, telling the guards (formerly his subordinates): “Why are you walking so fast, I know the way, we will not be lost.” Actually, the sky was dark, the bridge was narrow, and the river was rising, so the journey was very difficult. On the other hand, Mr. Bường actually tried to change direction to the foundation of an old crumbled church in Thợ Đúc and wished to die here. The mandarin granted him his wish. It was the place where, for years Christians had gathered under twinkling candlelights to celebrate the most precious sacrifice Jesus, now under torch flame, the bodyguard offered his own life to God. Until now, he still lives in the thoughts of Christians Thợ Đúc, as well as in the Vietnamese Church.
* Leaving a Government Career for Faith.
Paul Tống Viết Bường was born around 1773 in Phủ Cam, Phú Xuân (Huế), in a clan having a long Catholic tradition and having produced many mandarins under the reigns of the Lê kings and Nguyễn lords. His parents were Mr. Nicolas Tống Viết Giảng and Mrs. Maria Lương. Because his forefathers were all government officials, upon reaching maturity he was admitted into the National Guard Service. Leading a life of integrity and morals, after a few years he rose to the rank of corporal, and was chosen by the Nguyễn’s to join the royal palace security guard regiment. King Minh Mạng was very happy with his diligent and faithful service. He married twice and had 12 children.
In 1831 Đá Vách insurgents in Quảng Nam started its uprisings, the military was ordered to crush the rebellion. Corporal Bường was sent by the king to inspect the battle. Completing his mission quickly, he returned to submit his findings to the king. Unfortunately at the time, probably an official, because of jealousy, accused him of being a Catholic, so the king questioned him: “After your mission, did you pay a visit to Non Nước Temple?” He calmly answered: “His Majesty, not hearing His order for me to go, I did not go there. Furthermore, there was not any insurgent at Non Nước Temple to fight.” The king continued: “It’s a tradition to go to the temple to pay homage after quelling a revolt, why did you not go?” He replied unhesitatingly: “Because I am a Catholic.”
As a result, for expressing his faith Corporal Bường had to pay a very high price for the Good Word. Filled with rage, King Minh Mạng scolded him scornfully and threatened to have him beheaded. A few mandarins sympathetic to the corporal intervened; however the king, his anger still had not subsided, ordered him beaten 80 canes, stripped him off all his authority and demoted to a regular guard. Even so, Mr. Bường continued to happily serve the king.
* Completely Faithful to God.
Over a year later, by the end of December, 1832, preparing to announce his royal proclamation of Christian persecution nationally, King Minh Mạng ordered an inventory of all Catholics in the royal guard regiment. Then, officials discovered that many guards, after listening to the “seducing” words of Corporal Bường, had just converted. As a result, Mr. Bường and 11 other guards were listed presented. Five were so scared that they renounced their faith; the remaining seven was imprisoned in a dark and smelly jail cell at the citadel. Each one had to carried a cangue weighing nearly 7 kg, and their legs bound by chains.
At the early part of his jail time, every 10 days Mr. Bường was brought out for questioning about his faith. Every time the mandarin asked: “Renounce your faith?” And he repeated the same answer every time: “For a very long time, I only worship the God who created all things, how can I abandon my God now?” The result of such reply was flesh-shearing 20 canes, but God’s soldier uttered not a word of complaint.
With the spirit of a courageous soldier, he seemed to be able to withstand even more painful tortures. He once said to a visiting friend: “Find me something heavier because the cangue is still very light. They did not torture me hard enough, I thought I could endure harsher torture.”
The guards tried four times to carry him over the crucifix; he struggled with them every time. There was a time when the mandarin had the guard dragged his foot to touch the crucifix, he protested to the official: “You are doing this, I would never do such a thing.” The mandarin got angry and ordered him tortured even more savagely.
Unable to oppress him, officials turned to seduction. Justice Minister Võ Xuân Dần lovingly advised him to succumb to the king’s wish with the words “renouncing faith at this moment only; whatever happens in the future can be figured out later, you can do whatever you want.” But he responded: “If His Highness is sympathetic to me, then please permit me to fulfill my loyalty to God.”
In prison, he regularly encouraged his fellow prison inmates to be enduring, entrusting in and always praying to the Blessed Mother for the help to bear their agony to the end and to carry the cross with Christ. The more misery there was, the more spiritual their life became. Every day, he devoutly prayed, meditated and recited the Mysteries of the Rosary. Every month, he received the rite of reconciliation and the Eucharist from priests who came in disguise to visit him. Two priests, An and Vũng, took turn to visit and to give him encouragement. Missionary Jaccard Phan also sent letters to comfort him. One occasion, he composed a poem and gave it to Fr. An, expressing his rock-solid faith and considering all torments as “joy in God.”
* The Road to Heaven.
Unable to shake the faith of Christ’s disciple, the Justice Minister asked the king to announce the sentence. The king replied: “No need for a sentence; continue to torture him nonstop. If he refuses to trample on the cross, beat him to death, and throw his body outside the city wall.”
After the second request from the mandarin, King Minh Mạng agreed to sign the sentence of death by decapitation and the head would be hung for three days to set an example to others. However, the king still did not have the sentence carried out immediately; he intended to wait for his “faithful servant” to beg for an amnesty. Officials conveyed the king’s wish to Corporal Bường, but he refused decisively.
As a result, at 5:00 PM on October 10, 1833, the guards informed him of his impending execution. He calmly said goodbye to the 6 fellow guards imprisoned with him (all 6 would be executed later), he said:
“My brothers, pray for me so that I can accept God’s will. Do not worry about me, you should always walk on God’s path.”
On the way to the execution field, the corporal, using the excuse of being chained and burdened by the cangue, tried to buy the time so that he could be executed on the floor of the old church of the community of Thợ Đúc. Along the way, he met his daughter who had moved to her husband’s house in Thợ Đúc. Speechless, but their eyes were filled with countless loving emotions.
Under torch flame, the corporal with the cangue removed and legs untied was free for a short moment, walked a few steps, and took the last look at the beloved rooftops of houses surrounding the ruined church floor. He stepped on sedge mat brought by an old friend in Phủ Cam named Thục who had asked a guard to spread it on the ground. He knelt down and prayed for a few minutes, then told the executioner to carry out the sentence. The guards tied his hands and swung the saber to severe the head of the brave soldier of faith. His head was shown for three days at the church of Thợ Đúc, while his body was buried in Phủ Cam.
On May 27, 1900, Corporal Tống Viết Bường was beatified by Pope Leo XIII.
Saint Paul TỐNG VIẾT BƯỜNG
Corporal, Royal Security Guard
(1773-1833)
* A Nighttime Sacrificial Mass.
Saint Paul Tống Viết Bường, whose nighttime execution (by decapitation) is the most unique of all executions (by decapitation), was a royal bodyguard having distinguished himself with King Minh Mạng that the king wanted the death march to be very quiet. The “death-row” inmate was not informed of his execution until 5:00 PM, but at that precise moment, bodyguard Bường considered it a “once in a lifetime” opportunity. On the way to the execution field in an evening of late October when light faded away even before it started, he tried different ways to slow down the march, telling the guards (formerly his subordinates): “Why are you walking so fast, I know the way, we will not be lost.” Actually, the sky was dark, the bridge was narrow, and the river was rising, so the journey was very difficult. On the other hand, Mr. Bường actually tried to change direction to the foundation of an old crumbled church in Thợ Đúc and wished to die here. The mandarin granted him his wish. It was the place where, for years Christians had gathered under twinkling candlelights to celebrate the most precious sacrifice Jesus, now under torch flame, the bodyguard offered his own life to God. Until now, he still lives in the thoughts of Christians Thợ Đúc, as well as in the Vietnamese Church.
* Leaving a Government Career for Faith.
Paul Tống Viết Bường was born around 1773 in Phủ Cam, Phú Xuân (Huế), in a clan having a long Catholic tradition and having produced many mandarins under the reigns of the Lê kings and Nguyễn lords. His parents were Mr. Nicolas Tống Viết Giảng and Mrs. Maria Lương. Because his forefathers were all government officials, upon reaching maturity he was admitted into the National Guard Service. Leading a life of integrity and morals, after a few years he rose to the rank of corporal, and was chosen by the Nguyễn’s to join the royal palace security guard regiment. King Minh Mạng was very happy with his diligent and faithful service. He married twice and had 12 children.
In 1831 Đá Vách insurgents in Quảng Nam started its uprisings, the military was ordered to crush the rebellion. Corporal Bường was sent by the king to inspect the battle. Completing his mission quickly, he returned to submit his findings to the king. Unfortunately at the time, probably an official, because of jealousy, accused him of being a Catholic, so the king questioned him: “After your mission, did you pay a visit to Non Nước Temple?” He calmly answered: “His Majesty, not hearing His order for me to go, I did not go there. Furthermore, there was not any insurgent at Non Nước Temple to fight.” The king continued: “It’s a tradition to go to the temple to pay homage after quelling a revolt, why did you not go?” He replied unhesitatingly: “Because I am a Catholic.”
As a result, for expressing his faith Corporal Bường had to pay a very high price for the Good Word. Filled with rage, King Minh Mạng scolded him scornfully and threatened to have him beheaded. A few mandarins sympathetic to the corporal intervened; however the king, his anger still had not subsided, ordered him beaten 80 canes, stripped him off all his authority and demoted to a regular guard. Even so, Mr. Bường continued to happily serve the king.
* Completely Faithful to God.
Over a year later, by the end of December, 1832, preparing to announce his royal proclamation of Christian persecution nationally, King Minh Mạng ordered an inventory of all Catholics in the royal guard regiment. Then, officials discovered that many guards, after listening to the “seducing” words of Corporal Bường, had just converted. As a result, Mr. Bường and 11 other guards were listed presented. Five were so scared that they renounced their faith; the remaining seven was imprisoned in a dark and smelly jail cell at the citadel. Each one had to carried a cangue weighing nearly 7 kg, and their legs bound by chains.
At the early part of his jail time, every 10 days Mr. Bường was brought out for questioning about his faith. Every time the mandarin asked: “Renounce your faith?” And he repeated the same answer every time: “For a very long time, I only worship the God who created all things, how can I abandon my God now?” The result of such reply was flesh-shearing 20 canes, but God’s soldier uttered not a word of complaint.
With the spirit of a courageous soldier, he seemed to be able to withstand even more painful tortures. He once said to a visiting friend: “Find me something heavier because the cangue is still very light. They did not torture me hard enough, I thought I could endure harsher torture.”
The guards tried four times to carry him over the crucifix; he struggled with them every time. There was a time when the mandarin had the guard dragged his foot to touch the crucifix, he protested to the official: “You are doing this, I would never do such a thing.” The mandarin got angry and ordered him tortured even more savagely.
Unable to oppress him, officials turned to seduction. Justice Minister Võ Xuân Dần lovingly advised him to succumb to the king’s wish with the words “renouncing faith at this moment only; whatever happens in the future can be figured out later, you can do whatever you want.” But he responded: “If His Highness is sympathetic to me, then please permit me to fulfill my loyalty to God.”
In prison, he regularly encouraged his fellow prison inmates to be enduring, entrusting in and always praying to the Blessed Mother for the help to bear their agony to the end and to carry the cross with Christ. The more misery there was, the more spiritual their life became. Every day, he devoutly prayed, meditated and recited the Mysteries of the Rosary. Every month, he received the rite of reconciliation and the Eucharist from priests who came in disguise to visit him. Two priests, An and Vũng, took turn to visit and to give him encouragement. Missionary Jaccard Phan also sent letters to comfort him. One occasion, he composed a poem and gave it to Fr. An, expressing his rock-solid faith and considering all torments as “joy in God.”
* The Road to Heaven.
Unable to shake the faith of Christ’s disciple, the Justice Minister asked the king to announce the sentence. The king replied: “No need for a sentence; continue to torture him nonstop. If he refuses to trample on the cross, beat him to death, and throw his body outside the city wall.”
After the second request from the mandarin, King Minh Mạng agreed to sign the sentence of death by decapitation and the head would be hung for three days to set an example to others. However, the king still did not have the sentence carried out immediately; he intended to wait for his “faithful servant” to beg for an amnesty. Officials conveyed the king’s wish to Corporal Bường, but he refused decisively.
As a result, at 5:00 PM on October 10, 1833, the guards informed him of his impending execution. He calmly said goodbye to the 6 fellow guards imprisoned with him (all 6 would be executed later), he said:
“My brothers, pray for me so that I can accept God’s will. Do not worry about me, you should always walk on God’s path.”
On the way to the execution field, the corporal, using the excuse of being chained and burdened by the cangue, tried to buy the time so that he could be executed on the floor of the old church of the community of Thợ Đúc. Along the way, he met his daughter who had moved to her husband’s house in Thợ Đúc. Speechless, but their eyes were filled with countless loving emotions.
Under torch flame, the corporal with the cangue removed and legs untied was free for a short moment, walked a few steps, and took the last look at the beloved rooftops of houses surrounding the ruined church floor. He stepped on sedge mat brought by an old friend in Phủ Cam named Thục who had asked a guard to spread it on the ground. He knelt down and prayed for a few minutes, then told the executioner to carry out the sentence. The guards tied his hands and swung the saber to severe the head of the brave soldier of faith. His head was shown for three days at the church of Thợ Đúc, while his body was buried in Phủ Cam.
On May 27, 1900, Corporal Tống Viết Bường was beatified by Pope Leo XIII.