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December 1, 2002

Vietnamese Official Visits Vatican, After Bishops Are Named

VATICAN CITY (Zenit) - Wu Khoang, the highest ranking Vietnamese official to visit the Vatican in 15 years, paid a call days after the Holy See published the names of new bishops for that country.

The Vice Prime Minister of Vietnam met Friday with Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Vatican secretary of state, and with Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran, secretary for relations with states.

"In addition to topics on international politics," Vatican spokesman Joaquín Navarro-Valls said in a press statement, "there was an exchange of opinion on the economic and social evolution under way in Vietnam, as well as the need to intensify cooperation between the Church and the state for the benefit of the whole of Vietnamese society."

Last Tuesday, John Paul II appointed two new bishops for Vietnam, following last October's visit of a Vatican delegation to that country. An Oct. 20 Vatican press statement said the delegation discussed the appointment of possible bishops with Vietnamese officials.

Other proposed appointments were not accepted by the government and are now in abeyance.

Vietnam's 81 million inhabitants include 5 million Catholics, who have been served by 22 bishops, four auxiliaries, about 2,000 diocesan priests and 450 religious.
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