Viet Nam Human Rights
Vietnam – Vatican relations entering a new era
18/1/15
Holy See (Vatican) –Vietnam relations are foreign relations between the Holy See
and Vietnam.
Diplomatic relations have never been established between the two entities.
Before the independence of Vietnam there already existed, since 1925, an
Apostolic Delegation (a non-diplomatic mission accredited to the Catholic
Church in the area) for Indochina, based in Hanoi. After the expulsion
of its staff by the North Vietnamese authorities, the headquarters of the
Apostolic Delegation was moved to Saigon in 1957. In 1964, responsibility for relations with the
Church in Laos
was transferred to the Apostolic Delegation in Bangkok
and the Saigon-based mission was renamed Apostolic Delegation for Vietnam and Cambodia.
Cambodia and the Holy See established diplomatic relations in
1994 and the name of the Apostolic Delegation was again changed, this time to
Apostolic Delegation for Vietnam.
Meanwhile, with the end of the Vietnam War,
the Apostolic Delegate was forced to leave. Since an apostolic delegation,
unlike an embassy, is not a bilateral institution with involvement by the
State, the Apostolic Delegation for Vietnam has not been suppressed,
but has remained inactive since 1975.
Marxism
and communism
officially promoted atheism, causing Roman
Catholics and other Christians to be associated with the anti-communist
South Vietnam
region. This has strained relations between the Holy See and the Hanoi
Government.
Since 1990 a
dialogue between Vietnam and
the Vatican
has broadened mutual understanding, which is the foundation for both sides to
reach common views and foster bilateral relations for common and individual
interest.
Vietnam highly
appreciates its growing relations with the Vatican, National Assembly (NA)
Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung said at a meeting with Pope Francis I in the Holy See
in March 2014. Vietnam will
continue to be a friend, a trustworthy partner and a responsible member of the
international community, Hung told the cardinal.
At the same time, Vietnam is
ready to boost ties with the Holy See on the principle of respect for
independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and non-interference in
each other’s internal affairs, Hung added.
In October 2014,
Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung met Pope Francis in Rome with both saying they were committed to
restoring diplomatic relations. The meeting marked “an important step in the
process of reinforcing relations between the Holy See and Vietnam,” the Vatican said in a statement after
the meeting.
The Vatican said it welcomed the
support of the Vietnamese authorities for the Catholic community, which makes
up about 7 percent of the country’s population of 89 million. The Vatican had earlier hailed “positive
developments” from talks between the two sides held in Hanoi on Sept. 10 and 11.
Papal nuncio in Singapore Leopoldo
Girelli has been the Vatican’s
“non-resident pontifical representative” to Hanoi since 2011. That was the first time
that the Holy See has been able to have a representative in the country since
1975, and it was seen as a historic step on the road to the normalization of
relations between the two sides, with both sides agreeing that the
establishment of full diplomatic relations was the final goal.
Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said his meeting
with Pope Francis “will present an opportunity for both sides to enhance mutual
understanding, thus strengthening the relationship between Viet Nam and
the Holy See.”
The meeting, he said in an exclusive
interview, “manifests the great importance Vietnam is attaching to our
relations with the Holy See and our consistent policy to respect and ensure the
legitimate freedom to religion and belief, (and to) encourage Vietnam’s
Catholic Church to engage itself actively in the cause of socio-economic
development and national building process.”
In actual fact, Prime Minister Tan Dung
was the first top level Vietnamese leader to meet the pope since Vietnam broke
diplomatic relations with the Holy See on April 30, 1975, after the Communists
came to power in the whole country. He visited Benedict XVI in January 2007
when he was Prime Minister, and two years later, in December 2009, the
President of Vietnam, Nguyen Minh Triet, also visited the Pope.
Catholicism, with more than 6 million
members, is the second largest religion (after Buddhism) in this southeast
Asian country of some 90 million people. The Catholic Church enjoys religious
freedom in Vietnam,
notwithstanding tensions in some places over property and some other problems.
The Holy See and Vietnam have
found a mutually acceptable way regarding the nomination of bishops that works
well, and believes that with patience and good will the other problems can be
resolved also to the mutual satisfaction of both sides.
Today, the church in Vietnam has 27
dioceses, a number of seminaries, and more than 10,000 places of worship, and
also does charitable work by assisting internal migrants who find themselves in
difficult situations, and helping AIDS victims.
The Vietnamese authorities confirmed their policy of
respect for freedom of religion and belief and support for the Catholic Church
in Viet Nam to actively participate in national social – economic development./.
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All comments [ 10 ]
I totally support this relationship, I think Vietnam should establish diplomatic relations with Vatican, the most sacred holyland in the world.
Marxism and communism officially promoted atheism. This has strained relations between the Holy See and the Hanoi Government.
Take the Pope's hands and be blessed!
Prime Minister Nguyễn Tấn Dũng and Pope Benedict XVI meeting is a "new and important step towards establishing diplomatic ties"
The constitution preserves the communist party's dominant role, and keeps religious freedom under state control, though it also includes clauses that protect the right to practice or not to practice religion.
The Holy See should make more active contributions to the country’s development where the Catholic Church has strengths, for example health care, education, charity, and humanitarian works.
In my opinion, it's not the right time to consider this issue.
the Vietnamese “reiterated the consistent policy of the state and party in respecting freedom of religion and belief of all people and supporting the Catholic Church in Vietnam to actively participate in national social economic development.
Vietnamese authority really wish to normalize diplomatic relations.
I think religions and creeds as a spiritual need of the people that contribute to ensuring and promoting the national unity.
Your comments