The Holy See and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam are making progress in their diplomatic relations. A little more than a week after traveling to the Vatican to meet Pope Francis, Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuang visited the country's Bishops' Conference.
This was announced on the government's website. The Vietnamese government committee for religious affairs and the president of Vietnam highlighted the great work of the Church for the socio-economic development of the country.
The President informed the bishops about the content of his meeting with Pope Francis and the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, on July 27, which resulted in a historic agreement. For the first time, Vietnam will have a resident pontifical representative in the country.
This means that, before now, the person designated by the Holy See for diplomatic relations with Vietnam was the nuncio in Singapore. In other words, since he did not reside in Vietnam, he had to request authorization from the government to visit the country.
This new agreement may well set a precedent for how the Holy See continues in its efforts to build bridges with China. Both Vietnam and China are socialist republics in which the Church has had great difficulties in terms of religious freedom.
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TR: KG
