Vietnamese bishops tell Pope Leo that their Church is a family

Vatican News

Back in the Vatican after his 11-day Apostolic Journey to four African nations, Pope Leo XIV's schedule in Rome resumed immediately. On the morning following his return from Equatorial Guinea, he welcomed the bishops of Vietnam on their ad limina visit.

The “ad limina Apostolorum” visit, made by bishops in communion with the Apostolic See, aims to strengthen their responsibility as successors of the Apostles and their hierarchical communion with the Successor of Peter. Centred on prayer at the tombs of Sts Peter and Paul, it also serves as a key moment in the Pope’s pastoral ministry, during which he meets the bishops to discuss matters related to their ecclesial mission.

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After the papal audience, Bishop Dominic Nguyen Tuan Anh of the Diocese of Xuân Lộc  described the meeting as fraternal, saying that even "after a long journey to Africa, [the Pope] took the time this morning to meet us with all his heart." 

With around 7 million Catholics, Vietnam is home to the fifth-largest Catholic community in Asia. Bishop Nguyen Tuan Anh relayed how happy the Pope was to hear about the local church in the country, which the bishop described as having a "strong faith." He added that in the ever-growing technology-driven world, the Vietnamese church is working to answer questions regarding faith and AI and mass media.

Therefore, the bishop stressed the need to "unite" to face these modern-day challenges.

The following is a transcript of the interview edited for clarity.

This morning, the Vietnamese bishops met with Pope Leo XIV as part of their ad limina visit. What was that meeting like? 

First, after a long journey to Africa, he took the time this morning to meet us with all his heart. We felt that, and he said that. Even though he was a little tired, he felt very happy and joyful to see us and to hear about the Vietnamese Church. Second, the way he connected with us was very fraternal.

He really is the Successor of St. Peter, and we are the successors of the apostles. The atmosphere of this morning was familial, a family of the Church. All of us have a responsibility to contribute to creating unity and communion in the Church. We really feel we are in communion with the Pope, the Holy See and the Universal Church. The Vietnamese Church is a family, and in our culture, family is very strong.

Watch Bishop Dominic Nguyen Tuan Anh's interview

The Church has also been blessed by God's grace and by the blood of our martyrs.

What is the situation like in the Vietnamese Church now?

I think in the Church we always need the contribution and the unity of everyone: the bishops, priests, the lay people, and religious. We are appreciated for our strong faith. But also we face all the challenges like everyone else, in particular now with AI and with mass media. So we need to unite; we need to unify, and with God's grace, we can face this challenge in the way of faith, in the way of hope.