VATICAN Visit Of Vietnam's Prime Minister Welcomed As 'Important Step'

Posted: 28th January 2007

VATICAN CITY, JAN. 25, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI became the first Pope to receive a Communist Vietnamese leader in audience, in what the Holy See has described as "an important step" in establishing diplomatic relations.

The Holy Father today met with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung during a 25-minute audience in what the Vatican press office described as a visit that "marks a new and important step toward the normalization of bilateral relations."

"Those relations have, over the last few years, made concrete progress opening new spaces of religious freedom for the Catholic Church in Vietnam," added the note.

The communiqué said: "In the course of the discussions, attention turned to the problems that remain which, it is hoped, will be faced and resolved through existing channels of dialogue and will lead to a fruitful cooperation between Church and state."

The note added that "opinions were exchanged on the current international situation, with a view to a joint commitment in favor of peace and of negotiated solutions to the serious problems of the present time."

The audience was held in the Apostolic Palace and ended with an exchange of gifts. The Pope received a ceramic vase and the Holy Father gave the prime minister a set of medals of his pontificate.

Two interpreters, as well as the head of the Vietnamese Commission for Religious Affairs, Ngo Yen Thi, attended the closed-doors meeting.

After his meeting with the Pope, the prime minister met with Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Vatican secretary of state, accompanied by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for relations with states.
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Article Source: Zenit.org