The Vietnamese delegation meets with Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organisations of the Holy See. — VNA/VNS Photo Hải Linh

ROME — A delegation from Việt Nam's Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs, led by Minister Nguyễn Đình Khang, visited the ‌Vatican's Secretariat of State, Dicastery for Evangelisation, Dicastery for Communication and Vatican Radio.

At a meeting with Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organisations of the Holy See, on September 23, Minister Khang stressed that Vietnamese Catholics have made positive and important contributions to the country’s development and nation-building.

He affirmed that guidance from the Holy See and the Pope have encouraged the Catholic community in Việt Nam to pursue a path of accompanying the nation, thereby contributing to the development of diplomatic relations between Việt Nam and the Holy See.

Khang expressed his hope that the diplomatic authorities of Việt Nam and the Holy See would work to facilitate a visit to Việt Nam by Pope Leo XIV.

Archbishop Gallagher stressed that the Holy See has consistently encouraged priests and Catholics to make positive contributions to their country and to practise their religion in accordance with the law. He affirmed that the Holy See would continue promoting bilateral relations.

Minister of Ethnic and Religious Affairs Nguyễn Đình Khang (left) meets with Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu, the Holy See's Secretary of the Dicastery for Evangelisation. — VNA/VNS Photo Hải Linh

At the September 22 meeting with the Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu, the Holy See's Secretary of the Dicastery for Evangelisation, Khang noted that Việt Nam and the Holy See are currently negotiating the upgrading of their bilateral relations. He expressed his hope that the Dicastery for Evangelisation and the Vietnamese ministry would continue exchanging delegations, thereby facilitating the sharing of official information on religious life and belief in Việt Nam.

Khang invited leaders of the Dicastery for Evangelisation to visit Việt Nam and meet with the country’s Catholic community. He also informed Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu that General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee and President Tô Lâm has officially invited Pope Leo XIV to visit Việt Nam.

Expressing his hope that relations between Việt Nam and the Holy See would continue to develop positively, Archbishop Nwachukwu said that a future visit to Việt Nam by the Pope would be a landmark event in relations between the two sides.

Also on September 22, the Vietnamese delegation visited Vatican Radio, part of Vatican News.

Speaking highly of Vietnamese priests working at the Vatican in general and at Vatican News in particular, Khang expressed his hope that they would continue sharing information about Catholic activities, the life of faith and the cultural values of Việt Nam's Catholic community with audiences around the world.

He also called on the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication and Vatican News to establish and develop close relations with the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs, and invited Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication Paolo Ruffini and Director of Vatican News Andrea Tornielli to visit Việt Nam and the ministry.

The delegation's activities formed part of a working trip to Italy from September 22 to 24.

At a meeting with Italy’s Ministry of the Interior on September 24, the two sides exchanged experience in State management of ethnic and religious affairs and agreed to promote the development of a memorandum of understanding between them. They also agreed to establish a joint working group or regular consultation mechanism to put the cooperation arrangements into practice. — VNA/VNS