Vietnam Praises Its 6 Million Catholics, Asks Their Help in Improving Nation
Vietnam’s Communist leaders have made a Christmas gesture to the country’s 6 million Roman Catholics, praising their contribution to national development, official media reported Saturday.
Premier Vo Van Kiet met the new Vietnamese cardinal, Pham Dinh Tung, on Friday, after the cleric returned from his investiture in the Vatican by Pope John Paul II.
Kiet conveyed the best regards of the Communist Party’s executive Central Committee and of the government to Catholics nationwide, the official Vietnam News Agency said.
“Kiet spoke highly of the contributions made by the Vietnamese Catholics, including bishops and priests, to the entire people’s cause. . . ,” it said.
“He said he hoped the Vietnamese Catholics would integrate into the community more closely, contributing to help the country get out of backwardness and narrow the gap between Vietnam and countries in the region.”
Tung, the Archbishop of Hanoi, thanked the government for its concern and said Catholics are ready to share the tasks of renovation, the agency reported. Tung, 75, is Vietnam’s third cardinal.
Christianity was introduced in Vietnam in the 16th Century and flourished under French colonial rule. Catholics form about 8% of the population of 72 million, most of whom are Buddhists.
The nation’s Communist Party oversees church activities and insists on reviewing candidates for appointment as bishops.
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