Vietnamese communist leader meets Pope for first time :: Catholic News Agency (CNA) 5/3/14, 7:12 PM

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Vatican City, Jan 22, 2013 / 01:03 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Benedict Share received in audience today the secretary general of Vietnam's Communist Party, Email discussing issues of interest to the Vatican city-state and Vietnam. Print Twitter The pontiff spoke with Nguyên Phú Trong on Jan. 22, who then met with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone and the Secretary for Relations with Facebook States, Archbishop Dominique Mamberti. LinkedIn Digg The Church leaders addressed with Trong their hopes of strengthening the Stumble existing fruitful cooperation between the two states.

More Destinations Trong's audience with the Pope was unusual in that he is a political leader and not a head of state, with whom Pope Benedict would usually meet. Related news His visit with Pope Benedict is part of a wider European tour he is conducting Vietnamese-American family visits to give thanks with another nine members of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Trong met with to adoptive parish Italian authorities on Jan. 21 and will end his European trip with a visit to London Pro-democracy Vietnamese on Jan. 24. priest jailed again The desperate plight of A Vietnamese delegation from the office in charge of religious affairs visited the Catholics in Vietnam – one priest’s story Featured Videos Vatican just two months ago. Marine Corps foundation Pope Francis celebrates the closing Mass honors heroic Vietnam War and announces site of next World Youth Day The Holy See has not had full diplomatic ties with Vietnam since 1975, though in priest Safari Power Saver 2011 Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli, apostolic nuncio to Singapore, was appointed Click to Start Flash Plug-in the Vatican's “Official” to Vietnam. Related articles Benedict XVI meets with “Most Vietnamese will say, 'Well, this is just another meeting,' but it’s the first President of Cyprus time a secretary general, the most powerful member of the Communist Party, Fourth Station - Jesus meets his Mother visits the Pope,” Father Cuong Pham, a priest of Vietnamese descent, told CNA Jan. 22. Eighth Station - Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem who weep for “I think we should give them the benefit of the doubt that there is a sincere desire him to improve relations and engage the Church with the Holy See,” he added. Prayers at the Time of Death But Fr. Pham, who works in Rome, said the situation for Catholics there remains difficult. Visit our YouTube channel » “The situation has worsened because there is a big faction among members of the government that is hostile to religion as a whole and they feel like the Catholic Church is becoming too prominent,” Fr. Pham noted.

“By limiting the Church’s role, they want to show that the government is in charge because they don’t think that any religious group should have that type of

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/vietnamese-communist-leader-meets-pope-for-first-time/ Page 1 of 4 Vietnamese communist leader meets Pope for first time :: Catholic News Agency (CNA) 5/3/14, 7:12 PM influence,” he added.

And according to Fr. Pham, there are more tensions on a local level than on a government level.

“In several areas of the country there have been cases of abuse on high levels, which even violate Vietnamese law and the constitution,” said the priest.

He also observed that meeting with the Pope could perhaps change public opinion about Vietnam's human rights abuses.

“It makes the Vietnamese government look good and also that they are solicitous towards the Church and respecting freedom of religion, although that’s only on the surface and we don’t know if it will translate into action,” he said.

“The average Vietnamese would hope that the Holy Father has used the opportunity to speak for them, who are voiceless.”

Vietnamese Catholics, who constitute some seven percent of the nation's population, often face persecution from the atheist government.

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