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Paul Tống Viết Bường
Palace Guard
1773 - 1833
Feast Day: October 23
#Layman
Offering ceremony in the night.
Saint Paul Tống Viết Bường was exceptionally executed at night. He was a palace guard with many merits to King Minh Mạng; therefore, the King wanted the execution to be very discreet, with few people knowing. At five in the afternoon, the "condemned" was informed of the execution hour, but at that moment, Bường considered it a unique opportunity for himself. On his way to the execution ground in the late October evening, he deliberately slowed down and told the executioners (who were under his authority): "Why are you rushing? I know the way and won't get lost."
In reality, the night was dark, the bridge narrow, and the river waters were rising, making it difficult to navigate. Bường intended to reach the old foundation of the Thợ Đúc church and wished to die there. His request was granted. It was at this very place, under the shimmering light of candles, where believers had gathered to offer the highest sacrifice to Jesus, that now, under the torchlight, Bường offered his life to the Lord. To this day, he lives on in the conscience of all the faithful of Thợ Đúc and the Church of Vietnam.
Renouncing his official position for faith
Paul Tống Viết Bường was born around 1773 in Phủ Cam, Phú Xuân (Huế), from a long line of Catholics, which also included many high-ranking officials during the reigns of the Lê and Nguyễn dynasties. His parents were Nicolas Tống Viết Giảng and Maria Lương. Due to his ancestry's official positions, he was chosen as a palace guard when he grew up. With a pure life and integrity, he was promoted and chosen to serve in the royal palace by the Nguyễn dynasty. King Minh Mạng was very pleased with his diligent and passionate service. He had two wives and fathered a total of 12 children.
In 1831, the Đá Vách rebels in Quảng Nam rose up, and the army had to suppress them. Bường was sent by the king to inspect the frontlines. He quickly completed his duties and reported back, but perhaps during that time, someone envious reported that he was a Catholic. The King inquired if he had visited the Non Nước temple after completing his mission. Bường calmly replied, "Your Majesty did not order it, so I didn't go. Moreover, there are no enemies in the Non Nước temple." The King asked again, "Isn't it customary to visit temples after suppressing enemies? Why didn't you?" Bường unhesitatingly answered, "Because I follow the Catholic faith."
Thus, Bường had to pay the price for declaring his faith. King Minh Mạng was furious and threatened to behead him. Some officials who sympathized with Bường tried to intervene, but the King was unyielding. Bường was sentenced to 80 lashes, stripped of all his titles, and demoted to a common soldier. Still, Bường continued to serve the King cheerfully.
Staying loyal to God
More than a year later, around the end of December 1832, when preparing a decree to ban Catholicism nationwide, King Minh Mạng demanded a list of Catholic guards. Many guards had been converted by Bường. Bường and 11 other guards were then imprisoned. Five renounced their faith, while the remaining seven, including Bường, were brutally punished. They had to wear heavy shackles weighing almost 70 kilograms.
Initially, every ten days, Bường was interrogated about his faith. He was always asked if he would renounce it, and he always replied that he worshiped the one God who created everything and would not abandon Him. Each refusal was met with 20 lashes, but Bường never complained. With the spirit of a resilient soldier, he was prepared to endure even more suffering. On one occasion, he told a friend, "Give me something heavier; these shackles are too light. I expected more beatings."
Four times soldiers tried to make him trample on a crucifix, but he resisted fiercely. One time, an official ordered the soldiers to force his foot onto the crucifix, but Bường objected, saying it was the official's doing, not his. The official, enraged, ordered an even more brutal beating.
Unable to break his faith with torture, the officials then tried persuasion. Senior Official Võ Xuân Cần pleaded with him to renounce his faith temporarily for the King's sake, promising future rewards. But Bường replied, "If you are trying to save me, I ask that you let me remain loyal to God."
In prison, Bường encouraged his fellow prisoners to remain steadfast and trust in and pray to the Virgin Mary for the strength to bear their crosses and follow Jesus. Despite his suffering, his spiritual life deepened. He prayed daily, meditated, and recited the rosary. Each month, disguised priests visited him, and he confessed and received communion. Two priests, An and Vững, took turns visiting and encouraging him. Apostolic vicar Jaccard Phan also sent letters of encouragement. Bường once wrote a poem to Father An, expressing his unwavering faith, seeing his suffering as "joy in the Lord."
Path to Heaven
Seeing that Bường's faith was unshakeable, the senior official from the penal department requested the King for a death sentence. The King replied, "Why a formal sentence? Keep torturing him, and if he refuses to trample on the cross, beat him to death and throw his body outside the city walls."
A second time, officials pleaded, and King Minh Mạng agreed to a death sentence, ordering his head to be displayed for three days as a warning. However, the King delayed the execution, hoping Bường would ask for clemency. Officials informed Bường of the King's intention, but he firmly refused.
On October 23, 1833, at five in the evening, soldiers informed Bường that his execution hour had arrived. He calmly bid farewell to his six fellow prisoners (who were later executed) and said, "Please pray for me to receive God's will. Don't worry about me; always follow God's path."
On his way to the execution ground, using the excuse of being shackled, he delayed his journey, hoping to be executed at the site of the Thợ Đúc church. Along the way, he met his daughter, who was married and living in Thợ Đúc parish. Though they didn't speak, their emotional gaze said it all.
Under the blazing torchlight, Bường's shackles were removed, and he was given a few moments of freedom. He walked a few steps, looked around at the familiar rooftops of his parish surrounding the ruins of the church, then stepped onto a mat laid out by a former friend named Thục from Phủ Cam. He knelt to pray for a moment and then ordered the soldiers to carry out the execution. His hands were tied, and a soldier beheaded him. His severed head was displayed for three days at the Thợ Đúc church, while his body was buried in Phủ Cam.
On May 27, 1900, Paul Tống Viết Bường was beatified by Pope Leo XIII. On June 19, 1988, Pope John Paul II canonized him.