“Two is better than one” someone might say. I am talking about the two Th\u00e1nh Th\u00e2t Cao D\u00e0i in Paris. One is at Alfortville. The other is at Villeneuve St Georges. We will focus on the one in Paris today.
Th\u00e1nh Th\u00e2t Cao D\u00e0i represents a unique faith. It blends aspects of several major religions.
Let’s step back to 1986. Th\u00e1nh Th\u00e2t Cao D\u00e0i was established then. It followed a divine message. This message came during a ceremony in 1974. The V\u0129nh Nguy\u00ean T\u1ef1 temple was in Long An.
The Holy Mother taught Di\u1ec7u Th\u00ea. She outlined the mission. It involved spreading the Cao Dai faith abroad. It also meant showing feminine virtues. Followers should cultivate good character. They also needed to sacrifice for their faith. This helped spread the faith in Europe.
Th\u00e1nh Th\u00e2t Cao D\u00e0i in Paris maintains traditions. These include marriage ceremonies and funerals. They emphasize learning religious doctrine. Since its founding, the Th\u00e1nh Th\u00e2t Cao D\u00e0i has had leaders.
From 1986-1991, Tr\u1ea7n Qu\u1edbi Thi\u00ean was the leader. From 1991-1994, L\u00ea Th\u1ecb M\u01b0\u1eddi led. She was also known as Di\u1ec7u Th\u00ea. She founded the Th\u00e1nh Th\u00e2t Cao D\u00e0i. Ch\u00ed T\u00edn took over from 1994-2000. He helped purchase the land for the temple. L\u00ea Quan S\u01a1n briefly led in 2000-2001. Tr\u01b0\u01a1ng T\u1ea5n Nghi\u1ec7p has been the leader since 2001.
H\u1ed3 Kim Xuy\u1ebfn became Head of the Th\u00e1nh Th\u00e2t Cao D\u00e0i in 2009. She is the daughter of B\u1ea3o \u0110\u1ea1o H\u1ed3 T\u1ea5n Khoa. He belonged to the Cao Dai Tay Ninh Church.
The Th\u00e1nh Th\u00e2t Cao D\u00e0i Paris hosts community events. They organize a vegetarian meal annually. In 2012, it attracted 137 people. Representatives from Villeneuve St Georges attended. Vietnamese and French people participated.
Volunteers help set up and clean. They cook for hundreds. They raise funds for the Th\u00e1nh Th\u00e2t Cao D\u00e0i. The meal costs around 10-15 euros. People can also buy food to take home.
The Th\u00e1nh Th\u00e2t Cao D\u00e0i also distributes religious texts. These are in Vietnamese and French. This helps people learn about the Cao Dai faith. They also distribute a newsletter.
Since H\u1ed3 Kim Xuy\u1ebfn became Head of the Th\u00e1nh Th\u00e2t Cao D\u00e0i, many have joined. This includes posthumous initiations. Some travel far from Paris to join.
The Th\u00e1nh Th\u00e2t Cao D\u00e0i hosts regular religious studies. They use various Cao Dai texts. The sessions have two parts. A speaker presents a lesson. Then, attendees discuss the ideas. This fosters learning and growth.
Looking ahead, the Th\u00e1nh Th\u00e2t Cao D\u00e0i faces challenges. These include training future generations. They also want to spread the faith. They want to reach Westerners. They need skilled missionaries. They also need translated religious texts.
The Th\u00e1nh Th\u00e2t Cao D\u00e0i strives to expand its reach. It hopes to spread the Cao Dai faith internationally. It is working to broaden the Đại Đạo.
In 2020, the H\u1ed9i Th\u00e1nh Cao \u0110\u00e0i T\u00f2a Th\u00e1nh T\u00e2y Ninh recognized H\u1ecd \u0110\u1ea1o Paris. They appointed leaders. Tr\u01b0\u01a1ng Th\u00e0nh L\u1eadp became Cai Qu\u1ea3n. V\u00f5 Th\u1ecb L\u1ec7 Thu became Ph\u00f3 Cai Qu\u1ea3n for N\u1eef Ph\u00e1i. Tr\u1ea7n \u0110\u1eafc T\u00fa became Ph\u00f3 Cai Qu\u1ea3n. Nguy\u1ec5n V\u0103n L\u1ea1c became Th\u01b0 K\u00fd. Tr\u01b0\u01a1ng Th\u1ecb Ph\u01b0\u1ee3ng became \u0111\u1eb7c tr\u00e1ch H\u1ed9 V\u1ee5.
The dream is to build a Th\u00e1nh Th\u1ea5t in Paris. It would serve as a beacon of faith. It would also spread Cao Dai teachings.