The archbishop of Hanoi (Vietnam) comes from a Catholic family. In 1991, John Paul II named him coadjutor bishop of the Đà Lạt diocese. As the theme of his episcopate, he chose “He needs to grow,” recalling the humble words of John the Baptist.
In 2010, Văn Nho'n was named archbishop of the Vietnamese capital, and Pope Francis made him a cardinal in the consistory of February 14, 2015.
The cardinal was president of his country's episcopal conference and was forced to mediate difficult tensions between the government and Church.
He recently met with the pope during the Vietnamese bishops' ad limina visit.