Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung meets with Pope Francis.
At the invitation of the Pope, on October 18, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung visited the Vatican, meeting with Pope Francis and the Vatican's Prime Minister Pietro Parolin.
Pope Francis welcomed Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung's visit, considering it a very good opportunity for both sides to enhance mutual understanding, thereby further promoting relations between Vietnam and the Holy See; expressed admiration for the Vietnamese people; and highly appreciated Vietnam's socio-economic development achievements and the increasingly improved living standards of its people.
 |
| Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung meets with Pope Francis. Photo: Duc Tam – VNA |
Pope Francis welcomed Vietnam's successful implementation of its policy of freedom of belief and religion and its election to the United Nations Human Rights Council; expressed his delight at the increasingly vibrant activities of the Vietnamese Catholic Church, such as the annual meetings of the Vietnamese Bishops' Conference and the organization of important Catholic holidays like the La Vang Pilgrimage Festival and the Catholic Youth Congress; and thanked the Vietnamese Government and authorities at all levels for their attention and for creating favorable conditions for the work of the Holy See's non-resident Special Envoy to Vietnam.
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung affirmed that Vietnam always values its relationship with the Holy See, while consistently implementing and continuously improving its policy of respecting and guaranteeing the legitimate right to freedom of belief and religion of the people; supporting the Church and Vietnamese Catholics to continue making positive contributions to the building, development and protection of the country.
Both sides assessed that relations between Vietnam and the Holy See have made positive progress, as evidenced by high-level contacts, the effective organization and implementation of agreements at the Joint Working Group meetings, and the activities of the Holy See's non-resident Special Envoy to Vietnam.
Pope Francis affirmed that the Vatican has always been committed to developing good relations with Vietnam and continues to support the Catholic Church in Vietnam's active participation in Vietnam's socio-economic development.
Pope Francis emphasized the need to better implement the guidelines of "living the Gospel in the heart of the nation," "good parishioners must be good citizens," "Vietnamese Catholics must walk alongside the Vietnamese people in building a prosperous and happy country," and "Vietnamese Catholics must be patriotic."
Both sides agreed to actively maintain dialogue and contact to strengthen good relations and guide the Church and the Catholic community in Vietnam to effectively implement the Pope's teachings and messages mentioned above.
The Pope expressed concern about the tense situation in the South China Sea and affirmed his desire to contribute to maintaining peace, stability, and security in the region and the world.
The meeting took place in a sincere, frank, and mutually respectful atmosphere. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung thanked the Pope and the Holy See for the warm welcome extended to the high-level Vietnamese Government delegation.
According to VNA
