Vietnamese premier meets Pope Benedict XVI as Holy See aims for better ties
(25 Jan 2007) : Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung met Pope Benedict XVI on
Thursday in the highest-level encounter between both sides, that would boost the Vatican’s
hopes of establishing diplomatic ties with the communist government after decades
of tension. The meeting with Premier was part of Pope Benedict's policy of improving
international relations, including with Asian nations, where Catholics are a minority,
especially China. Vietnam has 6 million Catholics, Asia's second-largest number of
Catholics on the continent after the Philippines. Thursday's audience was the latest
sign of improving relations after decades of tension, particularly over Hanoi's insistence
on having the final say in most church appointments. Currently the Holy See has to
negotiate with the Hanoi government for the nomination of Bishops in Vietnam and very
often the government refuses to approve candidates whom it does not deem in its favour.
Seminarians are required to obtain Government permission before seeking an admission
into the seminary. New seminarians could be admitted only every two years. The bishops
do not have the freedom to appoint or transfer priests in the parishes of their choice
in the diocese. The church always required to take government permission to hold any
church-related functions. Many assets of the Church, such as lands, convents, schools,
hospitals and institutions have been confiscated by the government for many years
now and returned as yet.