St. Michael the Archangel's,
Van Hanh, Hanoi, Vietnam
[email protected]
Bishop Paul Nguyen Thai Hop, O.P. was born on Feb. 1, 1945 in the northern Nghe An province. He accompanied his family on the 1954 exodus to South Vietnam after French troops were defeated by communists.
10 years later he entered a Dominican noviciate in Vung Tau city. He studied philosophy and theology at local Dominican institutes in 1965-1972 while studied Orient philosophy at a university in Sai Gon and obtained a BA in 1971. After he was ordained a priest on August 8, 1972, he was sent to further his studies at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, in 1972-1978 and obtained a doctorate in Western philosophy.
He also studied political business at the University of Geneve in 1978-1979. Then he taught in Peru from 1981-1991. Three years later, he obtained a doctorate in moral theology from a Brazilian university. He taught at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome from 1996-2004. After he returned to Vietnam, he taught at local Church institutes and state-run universities.
Pope Benedict XVI appointed him bishop of the northern Vinh diocese on May 13, 2010. His episcopal ordination was on July 23 that year.
On Feb 11, 2019 Bishop Hop was Installed as Bishop of New Diocese Ha Tinh.
Bishop Hop serves as head of the Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace of the Vietnam Bishop's Conference.
The bishop speaks English, French, Italian, Spanish and Vietnamese.
On 19 Mar 2021, Bishop Paul Nguyen retired.
