Head of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs Vu Chien Thang (R) meets with Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz on September 7 (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Head of theGovernment Committee for Religious Affairs Vu Chien Thang hosted a reception inHanoi on September 7 for Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz, Prefect of the Vatican’sCongregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of ApostolicLife.
At the meeting, Cardinal Braz de Avizthanked the Vietnamese side, including the Vietnamese Embassy in Rome, forsupporting his delegation in organising the visit, which spanned from September2-7.
He said that the Congregation forInstitutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life is responsible forthe care of the consecrated lives of over 1 million priests around the world,including over 31,000 in Vietnam.
During the visit, he met around 2,000priests in Vietnam, finding them to be extremely friendly and united, he said,expressing his impression on the close relationship between the Catholic Churchand the Vietnamese Government.
The Government of Vietnam has supportedpriests and nuns to perform their tasks, he added.
For his part, Thang said that theGovernment Committee for Religious Affairs is an advisory agency for theGovernment when designing religious policies as well as State management overreligious activities in Vietnam.
Over the past few years, the relationshipbetween the Catholic Church and the Government has been closer on the basis ofsharing dialogue and seeking a common voice for the development of the CatholicChurch, society, and the whole country.
Thang hailed the efforts and effectivecontributions of many priests and nuns in healthcare, education, charity, andsocial activities.
The Vietnamese Government aims to promotethe resources from religions and their contributions to social and nationalgrowth, he said. He affirmed that the enforcement of the Law on Religion andBelief in Vietnam has created favourable conditions for the expanding of thecontributions, he held.
Thang also expressed his hope that CardinalJoao Braz de Aviz will guide the Vietnamese Catholic Church towards betteroperational efficiency and sustainable development, contributing to thenational construction process.
Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz has alsopreviously visited Ho Chi Minh City to attend a conference and meet priests andnuns from the city’s Archdiocese. –VNA
VNA
