Pope to name Vatican representative to Vietnam

(June 28, 2010) The Vatican said on Saturday that Pope Benedict XVI would name a non-resident representative to Vietnam, in a significant step toward establishing diplomatic relations with the communist state. Senior churchmen and Vietnamese officials who met for two days in the Vatican last week, agreed positive developments had taken place in bilateral relations in recent months, particularly December's talks between Pope Benedict and Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet. "In order to deepen the relations between the Holy See and Vietnam, as well as the bonds between the Holy See and the local Catholic Church, it was agreed that, as a first step, a non-resident Representative of the Holy See for Vietnam will be appointed by the Pope," the Vatican said in statement. Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi called it “a very concrete step toward diplomatic relations.” With 6 million Roman Catholics Vietnam has the second largest Catholic community in Asia after the Philippines; but there have been tensions for decades between the Catholic Church and the Hanoi government over church property seized by the Communists, appointment of bishops and other issues.