Ngo Dinh Thuc

Who was Ngo Dinh Thuc?

Pierre Martin Ngô Đình Thục was the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Huế, Vietnam and a member of the Ngô family, who ruled South Vietnam in the years leading up to the Vietnam War. He was the founder of Dalat University.

In 1963, while in Rome attending the second session of the Second Vatican Council, his younger brother Diệm, who was president of South Vietnam, was assassinated in a military coup. Thục was unable to return to Vietnam and lived the rest of his life in exile, living in Rome, France and the United States. During this time, he became involved with the Traditionalist Catholic movement and consecrated a number of bishops without the Vatican's approval for the Palmarian and Sedevacantist movements. As a result, he was excommunicated by and reconciled with Rome a number of times.