Amid floods devastating central Vietnam, Saigon’s Notre-Dame Cathedral doubles its Christmas lights, sparking debate on compassion, faith, and coexistence of sorrow and joy.
Newsroom (11/12/2025 Gaudium Press ) A fierce online debate has swept Vietnam over the lavish Christmas lighting display at the historic Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica, with critics decrying it as insensitive extravagance while defenders hail it as an essential symbol of hope amid national suffering.
The controversy erupted as the cathedral installed 1,000 kilometers of LED light strings this year—double the amount used in 2024—to welcome Christmas. The timing has proved emotionally charged, coming as central provinces grapple with catastrophic flooding that has claimed hundreds of lives, destroyed thousands of homes, and left millions in desperate need.
Social media quickly polarized into two camps. One side condemned the illumination as “wasteful” and “flashy,” with comments such as “People are still drowning in floods, and the church lights up like this?” or calls to redirect funds to relief efforts. The other defended the display as a longstanding religious tradition embodying the Christmas message of light piercing darkness.
Yet the issue defies simple moral absolutes. Beneath the outrage lie deeper questions of cultural restraint, religious meaning, financial reality, and the challenges of public communication in the digital era.
Built between 1877 and 1880, the Basilica of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception remains one of Ho Chi Minh City’s most iconic landmarks, serving both the Catholic community and millions of annual tourists. Christmas lighting has long accompanied its celebrations, but this year’s scale—particularly the widely circulated figure of 1,000 kilometers of LEDs—drew unprecedented scrutiny.
Critics’ reactions stem from genuine compassion. Historic floods have inflicted damage estimated in the trillions of dong, and Vietnamese cultural values, influenced by Confucian emphasis on restraint and communal empathy, amplify discomfort when public celebration appears detached from collective grief.
Many critics do not oppose Christmas itself but worry that ostentatious display risks widening the emotional gulf between festive joy in Saigon and suffering elsewhere. The headline figure of “1,000 kilometers,” often shared without context, reinforced perceptions of excess, though it refers merely to the cumulative length of light strings.
Supporters, especially within the Catholic community, insist the lights are integral to Christmas theology: the birth of Jesus as light entering a world of despair. Far from mere decoration, the illumination proclaims hope to believers and non-believers alike.
In a diverse metropolis, the cathedral’s Christmas display has become a shared public celebration. Described by many Catholics as a “spiritual lighthouse,” the glowing façade draws visitors for reflection, prayer, or quiet respite amid urban bustle.
The ongoing multi-year restoration, which has left scaffolding and construction visible, provides additional context. Decorative lighting helps transform an otherwise disrupted site into one of warmth and welcome.
Advocates argue society cannot extinguish all joy when some suffer. As one biblical passage cherished at Christmas states, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.” Many parishes and Catholic organizations have simultaneously raised billions of dong for flood victims, demonstrating that illumination and compassion need not conflict.
Practical considerations further complicate the picture. Cathedral pastor Father Ignatius Ho Van Xuan has clarified that decorations are funded primarily by local donors and Catholic businesses, with modern LED technology and material sponsorships keeping costs to a few hundred million dong—far lower than public imagination suggests.
Comparable public celebrations, such as fireworks festivals or Lunar New Year decorations in other cities, rarely face similar calls to divert funds, often because they are understood as separate budgetary allocations. The cathedral lights also generate economic benefits by attracting visitors and boosting surrounding businesses, contributing trillions of dong annually to local tourism.
At its core, the controversy reveals persistent challenges of communication. The “1,000 kilometers” figure spread rapidly online without accompanying explanations of funding, intent, or spiritual significance. In an era when fragmented information outpaces context, emotion readily fills informational voids.
Religious institutions, like other public entities, increasingly need proactive, transparent communication—delivered pastorally rather than defensively—to bridge such gaps.
Ultimately, the debate reflects no irreconcilable divide. Critics speak from empathy for disaster victims; Catholics act from faith and tradition; financial realities reveal no recklessness. The true challenge lies in mutual understanding.
As Christmas approaches, the lights at Notre-Dame Cathedral offer more than aesthetic spectacle. They stand as a reminder that sorrow and celebration can coexist when tempered by empathy—urging Vietnam toward greater unity, sustained support for flood-affected communities, and allowance for symbols of hope to shine.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from UCA News
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