Pope Leo XIV affirmed his desire to visit Vietnam.
The Pope expressed his hope that both sides would strengthen exchanges, particularly through the Vietnam-Vatican Joint Working Group mechanism, in order to further develop bilateral relations.
On June 30th, as part of her working visit to Italy (from June 29th to July 1st), at the Vatican, Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan paid a courtesy call on Pope Leo XIV.
Expressing his pleasure at meeting Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan, Pope Leo XIV stated that although he had only recently taken office, he had been informed about the positive development of Vietnam-Vatican relations, and that the two sides had upgraded their relationship to that of Resident Representatives of the Holy See in Vietnam.
The Pope hopes that both sides will strengthen exchanges, especially through the Vietnam-Vatican Joint Working Group mechanism, to further develop bilateral relations, meeting the aspirations of the faithful as well as the interests of Vietnam and the Vatican.
On behalf of the leaders of the Vietnamese Party and State, Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan congratulated the Pope on his election by the College of Cardinals as the Pope of the Vatican, affirming that Vietnam values and is ready to promote relations with the Holy See.
Highly appreciating the guidance, teachings, and messages of the Popes to the Vietnamese Church, the Vice President requested Pope Leo XIV to continue supporting and promoting the good relations between Vietnam and the Holy See, guiding and encouraging the Vietnamese Catholic community to effectively implement the guidelines of "Reverence for God, love for the country," "living a good life and practicing a virtuous faith," and actively contributing to the development of the country with the spirit of "The Catholic Church in Vietnam accompanies the nation," "Good Catholics are also good citizens," and "Living the Gospel in the heart of the nation to serve the happiness of our compatriots."
On this occasion, Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan conveyed the invitation from Vietnamese leaders to the Pope and leaders of the Holy See to visit Vietnam in the near future. Thanking the Vietnamese leaders for the invitation, Pope Leo XIV affirmed his desire to visit Vietnam to demonstrate closeness to the Catholic Church and its people, as well as to strengthen Vietnam-Vatican relations.
On the same day, Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan also met with Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Foreign Affairs of the Vatican.
Announcing the positive results achieved in the meeting with Pope Leo XIV, Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan suggested that both sides maintain the effective mechanism of the Vietnam-Vatican Joint Working Group, that the Permanent Representative of the Holy See in Vietnam continue to actively cooperate with Vietnamese ministries, departments and localities in carrying out their pastoral mission, and that Vietnam will continue to facilitate pastoral visits by the Permanent Representative of the Holy See in Vietnam.
The Holy See encourages the Catholic Church in Vietnam to faithfully follow the principle of "Reverence for God, love for the country," and to make positive contributions to the development of the nation.
Congratulating Vietnam on its socio-economic development achievements, Archbishop Gallagher, Secretary for Foreign Affairs of the Vatican, expressed his delight at the new progress in Vietnam-Vatican relations and highly appreciated Vietnam's religious policies. Agreeing with the Vice President's proposals, Secretary Gallagher affirmed that the Holy See would strive to promote relations between the two sides and was ready to cooperate with Vietnam in organizing successful high-level visits.
During the meeting, the two sides also exchanged views on a number of regional and international issues of mutual interest.
