Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Ho Chi Minh City (Agenzia Fides) - The Pope and the President of Vietnam are like "two fathers in a village," who meet to "ensure concord, peace, truth, and love in the village." The global village of today is the world. Using this metaphor, Cardinal Jean-Baptiste Pham Minh Man, Archbishop of Ho Chi Minh City, in an interview with Agenzia Fides, describes his feelings and hopes on the eve of the meeting between Benedict XVI and President Nguyen Minh-Triet, scheduled for today, December 11, at the Vatican.
What are your impressions on the upcoming meeting between the Pope and the President of Vietnam?
In times of globalization, the world has shrunk, transforming itself into a village where nations have become families living for one another and dependent on each other. And, according to the cultural tradition of Vietnam, families, in relationships among them, are like a village. By this metaphor I want to emphasize that the Vatican and Vietnam seem to have the will to build relations of this type. I hope that the current situation and the meeting between the Pope and the President, that potentially holds advantages for both parties, will bring about such relationships.
How would you analyze current relations between the Vatican and Vietnam, and in the future?
I think in any kind of relationship there may be points of disagreement. But I hope that, through dialogue, mutual respect, and seeking the truth, that step by step the two sides can reach a better understanding and, together, overcome the points of disagreement, in a spirit of "village harmony.” As the Church in Vietnam, we try to do our part in this journey. For example, after a long work of translation into Vietnamese, on December 4 we were able to distribute the Encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI Caritas in veritate in this country and among civilian authorities. It is a gesture which we hope will contribute to a better understanding of what the Church is and the spirit in which she operates.
How is the Catholic community in Vietnam experiencing this historic meeting?
The Catholic community in Vietnam, from a general point of view, hopes that the "leaders of the two families of the global village" sympathize with each other and together create an atmosphere of harmony for all the families in the village, joining forces to ensure a comprehensive development for the whole community. They all want to make sure that the "village" will become a new human community where truth, love, justice, and peace prevail. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 11/12/2009)
