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A cable, signed by U.S. Ambassador Miguel Diaz, states that Cardinal Law told the embassy’s deputy mission chief that he discussed bilateral relations and the president’s visit directly with the Vietnamese.
The WikiLeaks release of State Department cables revealed that American Cardinal Bernard Law is actively working in Vatican-Vietnam relations. His “personal involvement” helped confirm the December 2009 meeting between Pope Benedict XVI and Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet.
“It took a visit to Vietnam last week by American Cardinal Bernard Law to finalize arrangements to allow the visit to go forward, according to a person close to the cardinal,” reports a secret December 4, 2009 cable from the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See.
The cable, signed by U.S. Ambassador Miguel Diaz, says that Cardinal Law told the embassy’s deputy mission chief that he discussed bilateral relations and the president’s visit directly with the Vietnamese.
“In these discussions, the Vietnamese expressed little interest in formal diplomatic relations but considerable interest in ensuring the already-announced visit would go forward,” the State Department cable says. “The Cardinal did not reveal whether he obtained any concessions from the Vietnamese in order to confirm the visit, but that seems likely.”
A notation in the December 2009 cable advises to “strictly protect” Cardinal Law’s identity.
The cardinal’s interactions with U.S. embassy officials in Hanoi are also noted in a confidential cable from the Hanoi embassy, dated November 25, 2009.
During Cardinal Law’s visit for the 350th anniversary of Catholicism in the country, he discussed with U.S. officials the proposed visit of the Vietnamese president to the Vatican. He also discussed the possible resignation of Archbishop Ngo Quang Kiet of Hanoi, which the Pope later accepted in May 2010.
The archbishop faced health issues and became a controversial figure because of his efforts to recover church property confiscated by the communist government.
Full Article: CNA
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