Vietnam, Vatican report progress toward closer ties
September 11, 2014
A meeting between Vatican representatives and Vietnamese government officials ended on September 11 in Hanoi, with a joint statement affirming progress toward closer ties.
The meeting—the 5th such exchange—produced a commitment by the Holy See to continue working toward the restoration of diplomatic ties with Vietnam. In turn, the Vietnamese delegation affirmed the country’s commitment to religious freedom, and promised to support the involvement of the Catholic Church in the country’s public life. The joint statement emphasized that “being a good Catholic means being a good citizen.”
The official statement steered clear of topics that have caused controversy between the Church and the government in Vietnam, such as the prosecution of Catholic human-rights activists and the seizure of church-owned properties for public projects.
During their stay in Vietnam, the members of the Vatican delegation met with Pham Binh Minh, the Vietnamese foreign minister, and with Pham Dung, the chairman of the government’s committee on religious affairs.
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