Vatican, Vietnam make rapprochement official
VATICAN CITY - The Vatican and Vietnam have affirmed a rapprochement with a historic meeting between Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and
Pope Benedict XVI
The first meeting between a Vietnamese communist leader and the head of the Roman Catholic Church was hailed by the Vatican as a "new and important step" towards establishing diplomatic ties.
A communique also noted "concrete progress opening new spaces of religious freedom for the Catholic Church in Vietnam" in recent years.
In the largely symbolic meeting, the pope and Dung discussed "the problems that remain which, it is hoped, will be faced and resolved through existing channels of dialogue and will lead to a fruitful cooperation between Church and State" in Vietnam.
Benedict XVI welcomed Dung at his residence late Thursday morning, and the two met for about 25 minutes behind closed doors, accompanied by interpreters and the head of Vietnam's religious affairs commission.
Afterward, the pope and the prime minister, smiling broadly, exchanged gifts before photographers. Benedict offered Dung traditional pontifical medals, while accepting a ceramic vase from his guest.
The Vietnamese press secretary however declined to comment on the meeting when approached by reporters.
Vietnam's six million Catholics of a total population of some 84 million are the second largest group of followers in Southeast Asia after the Philippines.
The regime severed diplomatic ties in 1975 at the country's reunification following the Vietnam war, but relations have improved since 1990, with regular visits by Vatican cardinals to Vietnam.
Catholics' allegiance to the pope is still regarded warily by some Vietnamese officials as a potential threat to the ruling communist party's authority.
The gradual thaw in bilateral ties was underscored in November 2005 when a Vatican cardinal attended a lavish ordination ceremony for 57 priests in Hanoi.
Dung also met Thursday with Vatican number two Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone and Monsignor Dominique Mamberti, who is in charge of the Holy See's foreign relations.
The Vatican statement expressed the hope "that (Vietnamese) Catholics can, ever more effectively, make a positive contribution to the common good of the country, to promoting moral values, in particular among the young, to spreading a culture of solidarity and to charitable assistance in favor of the weaker sectors of the population."
Hanoi had tense relations with Benedict's predecessor John Paul II, who spoke out against communism in the former Soviet Union and eastern Europe.
By Martine Nouaille - Agence France Presse - January 25, 2007.
Pope meets with Vietnam's prime minister
VATICAN CITY - Talks on Thursday between
Pope Benedict XVI and Vietnam's prime minister marked an important step toward establishing diplomatic relations, the
Vatican said after the highest-level meeting between the Holy See and the communist government following decades of tension.
Benedict met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung for a half-hour in the pontiff's private library, the Vatican press office said.
"The Holy See has expressed its satisfaction with the visit, which marks a new, important step toward the normalization of bilateral relations" between the Vatican and Vietnam, a statement said.
The Vatican also praised "concrete progress" in recent years toward "opening new spaces of religious freedom for the Catholic church in Vietnam."
Earlier in the week, a Vietnamese cardinal said there were no obstacles to establishing formal relations that have been strained for decades.
Usually, at top-level audiences, the pontiff meets alone with his visiting guest. But joining the pope and Dung for their talks was Vietnam's official in charge of religious affairs, Ngo Yen Thi.
Vietnam has 6 million Catholics, Southeast Asia's second-largest Catholic population after the Philippines.
There have been decades of tensions between the Vietnamese government and the church, particularly over Hanoi's insistence on having the final say in most church appointments.
There has been speculation that official ties with the church could advance Catholic assistance in medical care and other social services for the Vietnamese people, and the Vatican statement appeared to indicate real prospects for that.
The Vatican said it hoped dialogue would "lead to a fruitful cooperation between church and state so that Catholics can ... make a positive contribution to the common good of the country."
It cited the promotion of moral values, especially among the young, as well as help for the needy.
During Mass on Thursday at Hanoi's St. Joseph Cathedral _ where worshippers spilled out into a courtyard _ a loud round of applause erupted among the faithful when Archbishop Ngo Quang Kiet mentioned Dung's visit to the Vatican.
The Rev. Jean Le Trong Cung said Dung's visit underscored Vietnam's determination to be integrated into the world community.
"We have high hopes for this visit," the priest said. "We hope that it will strengthen the Catholic Church's role in Vietnam and allow us to contribute more to the development of education, health care and social welfare in Vietnam."
On Tuesday, the archbishop of Ho Chi Minh City, Cardinal Jean-Baptiste Pham Minh Man, said after holding talks with Vietnamese officials, including the president, that formal ties should follow soon.
Other positive signs for the church included the ordination in 2005 in Vietnam of dozens of priests in a ceremony led by a top Vatican cardinal.
By Daniela Petroff - The Associated Press - January 25, 2007.
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