Hanoi (VNA) – Under-Secretary for the Holy See’sRelations with States Antoine Camilleri met with Prime Minister Nguyen XuanPhuc and senior officials of Vietnam in Hanoi on January 18, affirming thatPope Francis and the Holy See always want Vietnam – the Holy See relations tofurther develop.

Welcoming the Vatican delegation, PM Phuc saidthe life of the Catholic community in Vietnam has continually improved, stressingthat the country’s development achievements in 2017 were greatly contributed byCatholics nationwide.

He affirmed that the Vietnamese Governmentalways promotes national solidarity and is consistent in respecting andensuring the right to freedom of belief and religion of all people. It alsopays special attention to developing areas of religious followers withdisadvantages.

He expressed his delight at the maintenance ofthe joint working group mechanism, through which the two sides have keptdialogue and discussion to enhance mutual understanding and settle problems.

The PM added Vietnam hopes to intensifyrelations with the Holy See, including the exchange of high-rankingdelegations.

Antoine Camilleri said he is impressed withVietnam’s attainments, traditional culture, the diverse and dynamic life ofCatholic followers, and the mixture of religious belief and culture in thecountry.

The Holy See wants to promote ties with Vietnamso as to continue contributing to local society, particularly in education,health care and charity, he noted, adding that the Pope always gives specialattention to Vietnam and wants the Vietnam Catholic Church to contribute to thecountry’s prosperity.

He also thanked the Vietnamese Government forcreating favourable conditions for the non-resident representative of theVatican to work in the country.


Meeting with the Under-Secretary, Deputy PM andForeign Minister Pham Binh Minh said relations between Vietnam and the Holy Seehave developed in an encouraging trend over the past years as seen in themeetings between Vietnamese leaders and the Pope and the joint working groupmechanism.

He emphasised Vietnam’s respect for theCatholicism’s positive values, adding that authorities at all levels have beenproviding optimal conditions for religious practices.

Minh asked the Holy See to continue instructingthe Catholic community in Vietnam, the second biggest of its kind in Asia, toactively engage in national development and protection and comply with theState’s policies and law.

Camilleri reiterated that Pope Francis and theHoly See always wants bilateral relations to further develop. They have alsocontinually encouraged Vietnamese Catholics to contribute to nationaldevelopment.

Also on January 18, the Vatican delegation had aworking session with Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son. The two sidesinformed each other about their respective situation, discussed issues ofshared concern relating to the local Catholics, and worked out some measuresfor reinforcing ties.

Camilleri underlined that the Holy See alwaysprioritises dialogue to soon settle existing problems. It also agrees tomaintain cooperation and discussion to foster relations.

The same day, the visiting delegation had aworking session with Chairman of the Government Committee for Religious AffairsVu Chien Thang.-VNA