The Vatican’s first resident envoy to Vietnam has hinted at the possibility of full diplomatic ties between the Holy See and the communist nation in Southeast Asia.
“One day, we could have full diplomatic relations with Vietnam. This will be a great achievement,” Archbishop Marek Zalewski said in an interview on Feb 8.
The Polish-born prelate was appointed by Pope Francis on Dec 23 last year as a resident pontifical representative, nearly half a century after Vietnam severed ties with the Vatican following the communist takeover in 1975.
“Now I have in Hanoi my residence and office. This gives me not only joy but also hope for a better future for my office here for working with the Catholic bishops for the good of the church in Vietnam,” Archbishop Zalewski said in the interview published on the website of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Vietnam.