National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn (left) hands over a letter from Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm to Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Saturday. — VNA/VNS Photo

VATICAN — National Assembly (NA) Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn had a meeting with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Saturday (local time).

At the meeting, Chairman Mẫn expressed his appreciation for the Pope’s warm reception of the high-level Vietnamese delegation, and extended respectful greetings and best wishes to the Pope on the occasion of Easter 2026.

Showing appreciation for the goodwill that the Pope and the Holy See have shown toward the Vietnamese people, Chairman Mẫn highly valued the Pope’s messages of peace and his valuable contributions to promoting peace, social justice, environmental protection, and care for the poor.

He affirmed that these values are fully aligned with the aspirations of the Vietnamese people in the cause of national construction and defence.

Sharing with the Pope the outcomes of his recent visit to the Archdiocese of Hà Nội on April 5, 2026, the top legislator expressed his satisfaction that in recent years, relations between Việt Nam and the Holy See have made significant and substantive progress, from high-level meetings between leaders of both sides to the establishment of the Resident Representative Office of the Holy See in Việt Nam, particularly the positive development of religious life among the Vietnamese Catholic community, as well as the maintenance of dialogue mechanisms and the effective operation of the Joint Working Group.

He said he believes that the upcoming 13th meeting of the Joint Working Group would contribute to the process of upgrading relations to full diplomatic ties between Việt Nam and the Holy See.

In this regard, the NA Chairman expressed his hope that the Pope and the Holy See would continue to foster mutual trust and understanding, working toward elevating bilateral relations to a new stage of development for the benefit of the people and for global peace and prosperity.

Chairman Mẫn affirmed that the Party and State of Việt Nam consistently create favourable conditions for the Catholic community to practise their faith while contributing to the nation, following the orientation of “living the Gospel in the heart of the nation.”

He also noted that in the recent election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and People’s Councils for the 2026-31 term, many Catholic dignitaries, clergy and followers were elected.

In addition, Việt Nam’s National Assembly continues to improve the legal framework to facilitate the operation and development of religions, including Catholicism, in accordance with the Constitution and laws, he added.

NA Chairman Mẫn took the occasion to convey greetings, best wishes, and an invitation from Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm to Pope Leo XIV to pay an official visit to Việt Nam.

Pope Leo XIV expressed his sincere thanks and his fine sentiments toward Việt Nam and its people, noting his wish to visit the Southeast Asian nation in the near future.

The Pope spoke highly of the top Vietnamese legislator’s visit, taking place just five days after his election, describing it as an important milestone for further enhancing mutual understanding.

He also shared views on the situation of Catholicism in Việt Nam and relations between Việt Nam and the Holy See.

Saying that a statue of Our Lady of La Vang in traditional Vietnamese áo dài (long dress) was placed in the garden two years ago, he said it always reminded him of Việt Nam.

Pope Leo XIV expressed his gratitude to Vietnamese authorities for facilitating the stable and effective operation of the Holy See’s Resident Papal Representative in Việt Nam, and voiced his hope for more frequent exchanges and interactions to further deepen bilateral ties, in line with shared interests and the aspirations of the Catholic community.

On the same day, NA Chairman Mẫn also had a meeting with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, during which the top legislator of Việt Nam highly valued the increasing exchanges between the two sides, particularly at the high level, which have helped strengthen mutual trust and lay a solid foundation for long-term relations between Việt Nam and the Holy See.

He proposed the two sides continue maintaining high-level delegation exchanges and effectively implement the Joint Working Group mechanism.

He also suggested that the Resident Papal Representative in Việt Nam continue to closely coordinate with relevant Vietnamese agencies to further promote bilateral ties.

On behalf of the Party and State of Việt Nam, Chairman Mẫn extended greetings and an invitation from Vietnamese leaders to Cardinal Pietro Parolin to visit Việt Nam.

For his part, Cardinal Pietro Parolin congratulated Việt Nam on the successful organisation of the 14th National Party Congress, the election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly, and the first session of the new legislature, as well as the election of key leaders.

He spoke highly of Việt Nam’s development achievements and its open religious policies, recalling a letter from Pope Francis to the Catholic community in Việt Nam, which emphasised that a good Catholic is also a good citizen.

He also expressed his impression of the Vietnamese Party and State’s consistent attention to vulnerable groups.

Highlighting the increasingly strengthened relations between Việt Nam and the Vatican, the Cardinal voiced his belief that building on this solid foundation, bilateral ties will continue to develop positively toward new milestones.

He also reaffirmed his desire to soon pay an official visit to Việt Nam to witness firsthand the country’s strong development and the vibrant life of the Catholic community here. — VNA/VNS