A diplomatic delegation from the Holy See arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam yesterday for the Vatican’s 16th annual visit to the country. Their arrival, however, comes at a time of discord between the Vietnamese government and the Catholic Church – a result of recent protests by Catholic followers regarding the confiscation of Church property.
“Many properties that once belonged to the Church have been administered by the State on the grounds that they were needed for social purposes. Even when their purposes are no longer met, the buildings are seldom returned to their owners,” said Fr. J.B. An Dang.
Yesterday and today, the delegation from the Vatican will be meeting with government authorities at the Foreign Ministry and the Central Committee on Religious Affairs to discuss future diplomatic relations between the two parties.