Vietnam-Vatican relations highly appreciated

On the morning of December 10, the leader of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs received a representative of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences for a courtesy visit, on the occasion of the delegation's visit to Vietnam to attend the 10th Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC) hosted by the Vietnam Bishops' Conference.

Christmas Mass at Thanh Duc Parish, Da Nang.
(Illustrative photo. Source: Tran Le Lam/VNA)

Speaking at the reception, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Head of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs Pham Dung affirmed that the Government Committee for Religious Affairs is the agency assigned to guide and help religions operate in accordance with the law and charter and is a bridge between the State and religious people. In Vietnam, Catholicism has the second largest number of followers after Buddhism. Parishes and religious groups with priests in charge are all good in terms of security, politics and social order. Catholics have many important contributions to the development and construction of the country.

He hoped that the delegation would learn more about the daily life and religious activities of the Catholics when they came to Vietnam. He asked the delegation to convey his thanks to the Pope and the Vatican's functional departments for creating conditions for the Catholics to fulfill their mission as Catholics and hoped that the Vatican would pay more attention to the Catholics and Catholic dignitaries in Vietnam.

Thanking the leaders of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs for taking the time to receive the delegation, Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales, Special Envoy of Pope Benedict XVI and Secretary General of FABC, Cardinal Oswald Gracias said that the Pope knows very well that the Vietnamese Catholic community is making good progress. The Pope highly appreciated the progress of the relationship between Vietnam and the Vatican, as well as the assistance of the Vietnamese government in allowing the Vatican's non-resident representative to operate in Vietnam.

The two cardinals said that when they came to Vietnam, the delegation saw the friendliness and openness of the Vietnamese people and felt that Vietnam's spiritual life was very good.

Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales, Special Envoy of Pope Benedict XVI and Secretary General of FABC, Cardinal Oswald Gracias said that the 10th plenary assembly of FABC held for the first time in Vietnam will reflect on past work and continue future work, discussing better approaches in charitable activities and the field of education.

The 10th Plenary Assembly of FABC took place from December 10-16 in Dong Nai province and Ho Chi Minh City with the participation of 122 Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops and delegates of the Catholic Church in Asian countries, some European countries, America, Oceania and the Vatican.

This is the first time the Vietnam Bishops' Council has hosted a major religious event. The conference has a great position and significance in the spiritual life of Vietnamese dignitaries, monks and lay people and is also vivid evidence of the Party and State's concern for religious people in general and Catholics in particular./.

According to (TTXVN) - LT