Cardinal Jean-Baptiste Pham Minh Mân, Archbishop of Thàn-Phô Hô Chí Minh (Viêt Nam), was born in 1934 in Ca Mau, diocese of Cân Tho, Vietnam. He was ordained a priest on 25 May 1965.

Following ordination, he was a teacher at the Minor Seminary of Beato Quy in Cai Rang (Cân Tho). In 1975, due to the radical change of political system in South Vietnam, the Church underwent persecution and the seminaries were closed or confiscated by the State. During this period, he was made responsible for the formation of priests. In 1988, when six major seminaries in Vietnam were again opened, he was appointed as rector of the Seminary of Santo Quy in Cai Rang, and had to face numerous difficulties, including a lack of professors.

On 22 March 1993 he was nominated Coadjutor Bishop of the Diocese of My Tho with the right of succession, and  was ordained on 11 August.

On 1 March 1998 he was nominated Archbishop of Thàn-Phô Hô Chí Minh.

Created and proclaimed Cardinal by John Paul II in the consistory of 21 October 2003, of the  Title of S. Giustino (St. Justin).

Member of:

• Congregations: for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments; for the Evangelization of Peoples.

04:50 am | Archbishops Nienstedt and Chaput defend CCHD as criticisms continue

01:46 am | Holy Father reminds the hearing impaired they are also recipients of the Gospel

09:07 pm | CNN poll finds 61% of Americans oppose government-funded abortions

08:02 pm | USCCB: Senate health care bill 'morally unacceptable'

05:54 pm | Mexican expert: Don’t believe false 'end of world' Mayan prophecies

Beleagured Vietnamese Church receives two new bishops

Vietnam to return confiscated lands to prominent Catholic basilica

U.S. ordination class of 2009 trending younger

Pope Benedict appoints Archbishop Edwin O'Brien as head of Archdiocese of Baltimore