Attending the reception were Deputy Minister of the MERA Nguyễn Hải Trung and leaders of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs, the International Cooperation Department and the Office under the MERA.

Accompanying the Cardinal were Archbishop Marek Zalewski, Resident Representative of the Holy See in Vietnam; Archbishop Joseph Nguyễn Năng, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Vietnam (CBCV); Archbishop Vũ Văn Thiên, Vice President of CBCV; and other members of the delegation.

During the reception, Minister Nguyễn Đình Khang expressed his delight at welcoming Cardinal Tagle and his delegation to the Ministry. He also briefed an overview of ethnic and religious affairs in Vietnam.

Vietnam is a nation united in diversity, home to 54 ethnic groups, 53 of which are ethnic minorities, he said. The State’s consistent policy is equality, solidarity and mutual respect among ethnic groups, he added.

Minister Nguyễn Đình Khang speaks at the event

In the field of belief and religion, Vietnam now has 16 religions recognized or licensed by the State, with about 28 million followers. Catholicism is one of the major religions, with more than 7 million followers. It has accompanied the nation and made many positive contributions to the country’s development.

The Minister stressed that the Vietnamese State consistently respects and guarantees people’s right to freedom of belief and religion. It also creates favorable conditions for religions to operate in line with the Constitution and the law, meeting the legitimate religious needs of followers.

The Minister praised the contributions of the Catholic Church in Vietnam to social charity, healthcare and education. He also acknowledged the role of Catholic dignitaries in dialogue and in guiding Vietnamese Catholics to live a good secular and religious life and to accompany the nation.

For his part, Cardinal Tagle thanked the Minister and the MERA for their solemn and warm welcome. He conveyed Pope Leo XIV’s wishes of peace to the leaders of the Party and State, the Vietnamese people, and the MERA’s leaders.

Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle speaks at the event

While sharing with the host about the beatification ceremony for Priest Trương Bảo Diệp, held on July 2 at the Tac Say Pilgrimage Centre in Ca Mau province, he stated that the event was a great success and left many good impressions.

He was particularly impressed by the openness and friendliness of the Vietnamese people and the large turnout of Catholic followers. He also noted the close coordination among competent agencies, local authorities, the Church and volunteers during the ceremony.

Minister Nguyễn Đình Khang has exchanges with Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle

Overview of the reception

The Minister affirmed that Vietnam always attaches importance to foreign relations, and Vietnamese leaders pay special attention to relations with the Holy See. Vietnam–Vatican relations have recently continued to develop positively through regular dialogue mechanisms and exchanges, effective coordination between agencies of both sides, and the positive contributions of the Holy See’s Resident Representative in Vietnam.

Minister Nguyễn Đình Khang informed that during his visit to the Holy See on April 11, National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn delivered a letter from Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm inviting Pope Leo XIV to visit Vietnam.

Posing for group photo

The Minister hoped that Pope Leo XIV would continue to give positive guidance to the Catholic Church in Vietnam. He also hoped that Cardinal Tagle, in his role, would continue to encourage the Church in Vietnam to accompany the nation and contribute to the country’s development, especially in Vietnam’s new era – the era of the nation’s rise./.