By UCA News reporter
VIETNAM – Catholics in Vietnam will remember 2024 as the year that witnessed milestones in the increasingly thawing relations between Vietnam and the Vatican, with a potential papal visit soon, Church officials say.
The official visit of Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States, to Vietnam in April “was a significant milestone,” says Father Augustine Nguyen Van Du from the Archdiocese of Hue.
Although full diplomatic ties between the Communist-ruled country and the Vatican “have not yet been established,” the priest said the world has seen “warmer ties” increasing between them in the past year.
The thaw in ties is evidenced by episcopal appointments, increased frequency of meetings between the two sides, promises to support the local Catholic Church, and talks for a potential papal visit.
Du, who worked for decades in Italy, said the Gallagher visit, the first of its kind from the Vatican at the foreign minister level, demonstrated both sides’ desire to enhance their relationship.
Until then, only Vatican undersecretaries visited Vietnam for diplomatic discussions. The priest said that Gallagher “opened new opportunities for the local Church” to expand its activities in a more open environment.
However, political uncertainties — such as the resignations of former president Vo Van Thuong and National Assembly Chairperson Vuong Dinh Hue — prevented Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, from visiting.
More bishops named
The year began with Archbishop Marek Zalewski starting his tenure as the Vatican’s first resident pontifical representative in Vietnam in January 2024.
The Polish prelate, based in Hanoi, played a key role in addressing challenges faced by the local Church and facilitating three episcopal appointments with government approval: auxiliary bishops for the Hanoi archdiocese and Xuan Loc diocese, and a bishop for Ban Me Thuot diocese.
Zalewski’s arrival marked the Vatican’s renewed commitment to supporting the Church’s leadership in Vietnam. The relationship had been strained for nearly 50 years due to the lack of a permanent representative.
Du shared that Zalewski will work with Vietnam in 2025 to nominate a new bishop for Da Nang diocese in central Vietnam. The diocese has been vacant since 2023 when Joseph Dang Duc Ngan was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of the neighboring Hue archdiocese.
Du said Vietnamese bishops have already submitted a list of three candidates to the Holy See, which is in discussions with the Vietnamese government to finalize a bishop for Da Nang, the only vacant diocese in Vietnam now.
Du emphasized the need to create opportunities for the Church to expand its involvement in healthcare, education, and other social initiatives, which would contribute to the nation’s development.
According to Du, Vietnam and the Vatican are working toward building a positive relationship, which could eventually lead to a historic papal visit to the country.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin during the November G20 Summit in Brazil.
According to a report by the Government Committee for Religious Affairs (GCRA), Chinh appreciated “the goodwill” Pope Francis has shown toward Vietnam and invited Parolin to visit soon.
Expectant New Year
Parolin reportedly accepted the invitation and shared that Pope Francis also hopes to visit Vietnam soon, which is expected to strengthen diplomatic ties.
Father Peter Phan Van Loi, a historian based in Hue, noted that 2025 offers opportunities for Parolin to visit Vietnam. These include the 32nd National Marian Congress at the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Vang in August and the inauguration of the Basilica of Our Lady of La Vang.
“Vietnam genuinely desires a papal visit as part of its efforts to establish diplomatic relations with the Vatican,” Loi explained.
In early December, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh and Nguyen Tien Trong, the GCRA’s deputy head, met with U.S. – based representatives of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA), Institute for Global Engagement, and Reid Saunders Association.
Binh urged Pastor Franklin Graham, head of BGEA and Samaritan’s Purse, to continue supporting projects that help village communities and assist victims of climate change.
Trong also reportedly appealed to U.S. pastors to press the U.S. to remove Vietnam from its “special watch list” for religious freedom. Vietnam has been on this list for the past two years, implying that the government restricts religious practices in Vietnam.
Vietnam is home to 54 ethnic groups. Of the nation’s 100 million people, 95 percent follow some belief system. Over 27 million follow officially recognized religions, including Buddhism, Catholicism, Protestantism, Baha’i, Islam, Hinduism, and various indigenous faiths.
Rights groups say the government controls religious activities, particularly in the northern mountainous regions and the Central Highlands, where many ethnic groups have converted to Christianity.
The state restricts worship, gatherings, and the appointment of religious leaders, citing concerns over social unrest and foreign influence on local communities.
“The government should exercise greater tolerance toward house churches and independent groups if it seeks to improve its human rights record,” said a rights activist, who asked not to be named, fearing repercussions. – UCA News
