PAPAL AUDIENCE FOR
THE PRESIDENT OF VIETNAM
COMMUNIQUE
This morning the Holy Father Benedict XVI received in audience Nguyen Minh Triet, president of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
The president subsequently went on to meet with Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. who was accompanied by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States.
This was the first meeting of a president of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam with His Holiness and with high-ranking officials of the Secretariat of State.
The Holy See expressed its pleasure at the visit, a significant stage in the progress of bilateral relations with Vietnam, and expressed the hope that outstanding questions may be resolved as soon as possible.
The cordial discussions provided an opportunity to touch upon certain themes concerning co-operation between Church and State, also in the light of the Message the Holy Father sent to the Church in Vietnam for the opening of the current Jubilee Year.
Attention likewise turned to the current international situation, with particular reference to the commitment of Vietnam and of the Holy See in the multilateral field.
Pope and Vietnam's President meet
to set the stage for closer ties
VATICAN CITY. Dec. 11 (AP) — The Vatican called a meeting between Pope Benedict XVI and the president of Vietnam on Friday "a significant stage" in efforts for closer ties between the communist country and the Holy See.
President Nguyen Minh Triet met with Benedict for 40 minutes — twice as long as was scheduled, and the first time that a Vietnamese head of state has met with the pope since the Communists took power in 1954.
On the eve of the trip, Triet had told an Italian newspaper that his government is working to open diplomatic relations with the Vatican. Vietnam's 6 million Roman Catholics is one of the largest Catholic communities in Asia.
"The Holy See expressed its pleasure at the visit, a significant stage in the progress of bilateral relations, and expressed the hope that outstanding questions may be resolved as soon as possible," the Vatican statement said.
There have been tensions between Catholics and the Hanoi government over church property seized by the Communists. The government also closely monitors religious groups and insists on approving most church appointments.
The Vatican said "the cordial discussions provided an opportunity to touch upon certain themes concerning cooperation between church and state," but the statement did not elaborate.
When the meeting was opened to reporters, both men seemed pleased with the discussions.
In his interview published Tuesday in
Corriere della Sera, Triet described himself as an atheist but said he goes to churches and pagodas because "I recognize the cultural value" of religious feasts.
Church officials have spoken about the possibility of a papal visit to Vietnam, but the Vatican statement did not mention such a trip.
Pope has 'long talk'
with Vietnam's President
Vatican City, Dec. 11 (dpa) - Pope Benedict XVI on Friday received Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet, in a meeting which could pave the way for diplomatic relations between the Vatican and the Communist South-East Asian nation.
The two leaders, accompanied by interpreters, met for around 40 minutes at the Pontiff's Vatican Apostolic Palace residence, the ANSA news agency reported.
At the end of their talks they exchanged gifts, with the Vietnamese President presenting Benedict with a silk cloth and the pontiff giving his guest a medallion commemorating his pontificate.
On the eve of the trip, Triet had told an Italian newspaper that his government is working to open diplomatic relations with the Vatican.
Vietnam's 6 million Roman Catholics are the second largest Catholic community in Asia after the one in the Philippines [
which has about 65 million Catholics].
In 2008, Catholics held prayer vigils and protests over land parcels in Hanoi the church says were illegally seized from it by the Communist authorities.
Some observers believe the Vatican intervened to mediate an end to the demonstrations after several of the protestors were arrested.
The Vatican and Vietnam:
'Two families in a global village':
Interview with Archbishop of Saigon
Ho Chi Minh City, Dec. 11 (Agenzia Fides) - The Pope and the President of Vietnam are like "two fathers in a village," who meet to "ensure concord, peace, truth, and love in the village." The global village of today is the world.
Using this metaphor, Cardinal Jean-Baptiste Pham Minh Man, Archbishop of Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), in an interview with Agenzia Fides, describes his feelings and hopes on the eve of the meeting between Benedict XVI and President Nguyen Minh-Triet today at the Vatican.
What are your impressions on the upcoming meeting between the Pope and the President of Vietnam?
In a time of globalization, the world has shrunk, transforming itself into a village where nations have become families living for one another and dependent on each other. And, according to the cultural tradition of Vietnam, families, in relationships among them, are like a village.
By this metaphor I want to emphasize that the Vatican and Vietnam seem to have the will to build relations of this type. I hope that the current situation and the meeting between the Pope and the President, that potentially holds advantages for both parties, will bring about such relationships.
How would you analyze current relations between the Vatican and Vietnam, and in the future?
I think in any kind of relationship there may be points of disagreement. But I hope that, through dialogue, mutual respect, and seeking the truth, that step by step the two sides can reach a better understanding and, together, overcome the points of disagreement, in a spirit of "village harmony.”
As the Church in Vietnam, we try to do our part in this journey. For example, after a long work of translation into Vietnamese, on December 4 we were able to distribute the Encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI
Caritas in veritate in this country and among civilian authorities. It is a gesture which we hope will contribute to a better understanding of what the Church is and the spirit in which she operates.
How is the Catholic community in Vietnam experiencing this historic meeting?
The Catholic community in Vietnam, from a general point of view, hopes that the "leaders of the two families of the global village" sympathize with each other and together create an atmosphere of harmony for all the families in the village, joining forces to ensure a comprehensive development for the whole community.
They all want to make sure that the "village" will become a new human community where truth, love, justice, and peace prevail.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 11/12/2009 18:19]