Vietnamese Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan pays a courtesy call on Pope Leo XIV during her working visit to Italy. (Photo: MOFA)

Receiving the Vietnamese Vice President on Monday, the Pope expressed his desire for the two sides to continue strengthening dialogue, especially through the Vietnam–Vatican Joint Working Group mechanism, in order to further advance bilateral relations, meeting the expectations of the Catholic community and serving the mutual interests of both sides.

Ms. Xuan appreciated the guidance and messages of past Popes to the Catholic Church in Vietnam and asked Pope Leo XIV to continue supporting the development of good relations between Vietnam and the Vatican. She also urged him to encourage Vietnamese Catholics to uphold faith and patriotism, live well, and actively contribute to national development in the spirit of unity between the Church and the nation.

On this occasion, the Vice President conveyed an invitation from the Vietnamese leaders for the Pope and senior Vatican officials to visit Vietnam in the near future. Pope Leo XIV expressed his strong desire to visit Vietnam as a gesture of closeness to the Vietnamese Catholic Church and faithful, and to further strengthen bilateral ties.