Representatives of the Government and the Catholic community in Vietnam discuss Pope Francis’s letter to the Vietnam Catholic Church at a workshop in Hanoi on July 23, 2024. (Photo: VNA)

Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Vu Chien Thang said that Catholics form an important and inseparable part of the Vietnamese nation, and they are working together with followers of other religions and non-religious communities for national construction and development.

The letter, he said, presents a mutual recognition. The Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) recognizes the Vatican as a friend and a partner and the Vatican recognizes the CPV and the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam as a cooperative partner, not a threat to Catholicism and the Vatican.

The Deputy Minister said Pope Francis, in the letter, expresses his confidence that the relationship between the Vatican and the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam will grow further despite differences, for the sake of both sides. This would help prevent and eliminate distorted allegations by hostile forces inside and outside the Church, who take advantage of religions to sabotage the Party and State, he said, adding the Church may even take interventions to prevent such distortions.

Bishop Do Manh Hung, Secretary General of the Vietnam Episcopal Council, repeated what Pope Francis asked Vietnamese Catholics to do in his letter, including “concrete practice of charity” and “dialogue and respectful collaboration” with authorities.