By UCA News reporter
VIETNAM – Government officials and faith leaders in Vietnam have appreciated Pope Francis’ intervention through a letter that ended the ideological conflicts between communists and Catholics.
Francis’ first letter to local Catholics was sent in September 2023 after reaching a landmark pact with the communist-ruled country.
The pact allowed a papal representative to reside in the country and open an office in Hanoi for the first time since the communist government severed ties with the Vatican in 1975.
The papal letter “formally abolished and definitively ended the historical conflict of ideologies,” Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Vu Chien Thang told participants at a workshop organized by the Government Committee for Religious Affairs in Hanoi on Jul 23.
Those who attended the worship included Bishop Joseph Do Manh Hung, secretary-general of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Vietnam, five other bishops, a dozen priests, government officials and experts in religion.
Thang, the former head of the committee overseeing all religious activities in Vietnam, said Pope Francis’ letter acknowledged the relationship between the Vatican and Vietnam. He also expressed optimism that despite differences, both sides will find common ground to benefit the Vietnamese people and the Vatican.
He underscored that the papal letter represents a crucial historical moment with profound implications for the local Church, encouraging local communities to continue accompanying the nation.
Thang stressed that this development marked “a significant milestone in Vietnam-Vatican relations after nearly a century of strained ties due to ideological conflicts.”
He further described it as a substantial achievement, reflecting Vietnam’s commitment to safeguarding religious freedom for its citizens.
“This marks mutual recognition: the Communist Party of Vietnam acknowledges the Vatican as a friend and partner, while the Vatican acknowledges the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam as cooperative partners, without posing threats to the Catholic Church and the Vatican State,” Thang was quoted saying by the Vietnam News Agency.
He said local Catholics are an essential and inseparable part of the nation, working alongside other religious and non-religious communities to build the country, and commended them for their significant contributions to social welfare, charity, healthcare, and education.
He noted Vietnam has some 7.2 million Catholics in 3,000 parishes.
Nguyen Thanh Xuan from the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics recalled that for various reasons, there were periods when some officials’ perceptions and treatment of religion, particularly Catholics, did not align with state laws.
“But now, we have overcome those challenges and established a harmonious relationship,” he said.
The workshop discussed the letter’s implications and sought ways to enhance bilateral ties. It also discussed strategies for greater Catholic engagement in education, healthcare, and social welfare initiatives.
The Communist Party of Vietnam was founded in 1930, and its northern forces secured a decisive victory over French colonial forces in May 1954. This led to the signing of the Geneva Accords on Jul 20 of the same year.
The accords caused the exodus of some one million people, including some 700,000 Catholics, from North Vietnam to the South from 1954 to July 1955 in search of religious freedom.
Following the migration, ten northern dioceses were left with only seven bishops, 374 religious, and a handful of priests to serve a community of 750,000 believers. – UCA News
