Representatives of VN, Vatican talk of bilateral ties
VGP – Vietnamese Ambassador to Italy Đặng Khánh Thoại had a meeting with representative of Vatican, Undersecretary for Relations with States Ettore Balestrero, to discuss the relations between Việt Nam and Vatican.
Ambassador Đặng Khánh Thoại confirmed Việt Nam’s consistent policies to pay respect to and guarantee its citizens’ freedom of religion. He stated that the authorities in Việt Nam have made great efforts to better the life of Catholics. The Government of Việt Nam facilitated Vietnamese bishops’ regular visits to the tombs of Saints Peter and Paul in Vatican in June 2009 and permitted the Việt Nam Catholic Church to organize the Jubilee Year 2010 on the 50th anniversary of its hierarchy.
The Vietnamese diplomat agreed with the statement made by Pope Benedict XVI in his recent meeting with Vietnamese bishops in Roma, in which the Pope called upon Vietnamese Catholics to join hands in the cause of national development. The Pope also highlighted the evangelic spirit mentioned in the Joint Letter 1980 of the Vietnamese Episcopal Commission, stressing that “a good Catholic is also a good citizen” and that the Church never tries to replace the government.
The Ambassador expressed his hope that the Pope’s teachings will encourage the Việt Nam Catholic Church to further contribute to the national construction.
Undersecretary Ettore Balestrero affirmed that Vatican wants the two sides continue their efforts to promote bilateral ties.
By Xuân Hồng
