Vietnamese Catholics are looking forward to Pope Leo’s visit, according to a report by the Vatican’s missionary news agency, Agencia Fides, on May 17, citing a Vietnamese Catholic online newspaper. The Vietnamese version of “Pope Leo XIV should visit Vietnam to fulfill Pope Francis’ wish” points out that Francis left behind “a deep legacy of compassion, peace and interreligious dialogue.”
“One of Pope Francis’ unfulfilled wishes was to visit Vietnam, a country with a vibrant Catholic community and rich cultural history,” Agencia Fides quoted the Vietnamese newspaper as saying. The report said Leo’s visit to Vietnam’s communist-ruled country is not only of great significance to the Vietnamese Church, but also to other fields such as culture, society and diplomacy.
His visit also brought great encouragement to Vietnamese Catholics, helping them “strengthen their faith and experience unity with the universal Church.” “We sincerely hope that Pope Leo XIV will visit Vietnam,” the newspaper said, adding that the historic visit will bring a message of peace, unity and love to all people in Vietnam.
In July 2023, during his visit to the Vatican, former Vietnamese President Vu Van Thang extended an invitation to Pope Francis to visit Vietnam. Thuong also signed an agreement on the working procedures of the Pope’s representative to Vietnam and his office.
Later, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Irish Minister of State and International Organizations, also visited, further consolidating relations with the communist country. In December 2023, the Vatican appointed Archbishop Marek Zarevski as the Apostolic Representative to Vietnam, 48 years after the last appointment.
Meanwhile, Buddhist-leaning Vietnamese newspapers expressed admiring comments on Pope Leo XIV. In an analysis titled “Pope Leo XIV and the Buddhist community: a new era of interreligious dialogue,” the Buddhist newspaper Viet Nam expressed hope for progress in interreligious dialogue under the leadership of the new pope.
Although Leo has not yet revealed his views on Buddhism, “his background and past actions indicate that he is open to interreligious dialogue,” Fides News Agency quoted Phat u Vietnam as saying.
Leo, the first Augustinian missionary to become pope, served in Peru for more than three decades, from 1988 to 2023. Since January 2023, he has served as Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops in Rome and President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.
The article chronicles Leo’s experience as a missionary in Peru, where there is a small but thriving Buddhist community. The newspaper article notes that Leo is supposedly “familiar with cultural and religious diversity.” The article cites a 2024 speech by then-Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who called for a “reciprocal relationship” between humans and the environment.
Prevost stressed that this vision embodies the Buddhist principles of “non-harm” and “respect for life,” opening the way for joint projects with Buddhist organizations. He also stressed the need to “build bridges,” which shows his “willingness to participate in such collaborations,” according to Fides News Agency.
Meanwhile, Father Nguyen Thanh Thong, a professor of church history, expressed deep gratitude to Father Leo on behalf of the Vietnamese Church in an interview with the media of the Archdiocese of Ho Chi Minh City.
Tung said: “The Pope chose the name Leo XIV in memory of Leo XIII, who was born at a time when the world was facing social problems.” He added: “In the social context of capitalist exploitation of workers, Leo XIII defended workers.”
Professor Tung stressed: “Pope Leo XIV hopes to continue the path of an open church, protecting and defending the poor, the weak and workers, and upholding human dignity.”
