To Lam invites Pope Leo XIV: plans for the visit to Vietnam are back on track

The President of the National Assembly in Hanoi presented the Pope with a letter from the President, who is now firmly at the helm of power in Vietnam. It was precisely internal disagreements over the local political balance of power that had slowed down the preparations for the visit, which is so eagerly awaited by the Catholic community. Cardinal Parolin is due to visit soon to establish full diplomatic relations. The possibility of 2027, when the Pope is already expected in Seoul for World Youth Day.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) -- Coinciding with the apostolic journey that is today taking a Pope to Algeria for the first time, before continuing to three countries in sub-Saharan Africa (Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea), the path is also reopening towards another apostolic visit long awaited for many years: that of a successor of Peter to Vietnam.

On 11 April, Pope Leo XIV met at the Vatican with the President of the Vietnamese National Assembly, Trần Thanh Mẫn, who handed him a personal message from To Lam, the undisputed leader in Hanoi today, who a few days ago further consolidated his leadership by securing election by parliament to the presidency of the country (as is the case in China).

Official sources in Hanoi have leaked to the Vietnamese press that To Lam’s letter contains an invitation to Pope Leo to visit Vietnam. This detail is significant because there had already been a previous invitation extended by the authorities to Pope Francis in December 2023. This move came a few months after the signing in July of that same year of the Agreement which, following years of negotiations, had paved the way for the presence of a permanent representative of the Holy See in Hanoi. But that move and that invitation had been made by the then President Vo Van Thuong, who was forced to resign a few months later as part of the fierce anti-corruption campaign that effectively led former Security Minister To Lang to defeat all internal competition within the Party and secure – upon the death of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in July 2024 – the leadership succession, confirmed by the Congress last January.

It was precisely this internal situation that also influenced the development of relations with the Vatican. In January 2024, in fact, there had been the historic visit to Vietnam by the Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Paul Gallagher; and a visit that year by the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, was also expected imminently; this was intended to formalise the transition to full diplomatic relations between Hanoi and the Holy See, the final formal hurdle still standing in the way of a papal visit. However, due to internal turmoil in Hanoi, that visit never took place. Nevertheless, a Vietnamese government delegation did attend both the funeral of Pope Francis and the inauguration ceremony of Pope Leo XIV.

Now – according to reports from Vietnamese sources – National Assembly President Mẫn, on the sidelines of the Vatican talks, expressed his conviction that “the upcoming 13th meeting of the Joint Working Group (between Vietnam and the Vatican, ed.) will contribute to the process of elevating relations to full diplomatic ties”. He also stated that “the Party and the State are constantly creating favourable conditions so that the Catholic community may practise its faith whilst contributing to the nation, following the guiding principle of ‘living the Gospel at the heart of the nation’”, and welcomed the fact that several Catholics have been elected as deputies to the 16th National Assembly and to the People’s Councils for the 2026–31 term. Finally, upon meeting Cardinal Parolin, he renewed his invitation for the Cardinal to visit Vietnam, to which the Cardinal reportedly replied that it was his intention to make this trip “soon”.

According to the Vietnamese authorities’ account, Pope Leo XIV, for his part, expressed to Trần Thanh Mẫ his sincere thanks and positive sentiments towards Vietnam and its people, emphasising his desire to visit the Southeast Asian country in the near future. He recalled that a statue of Our Lady of La Vang, depicted in traditional Vietnamese dress, was placed in the Vatican Gardens two years ago, and its presence – the Pope observed – always reminds him of Vietnam. Finally, he expressed his gratitude to the Vietnamese authorities for facilitating the stable and effective operation of the Holy See’s resident papal representative in Hanoi, hoping for more frequent exchanges and interactions to further deepen bilateral relations, in line with the shared interests and aspirations of the Catholic community.

Vietnamese Catholics have long desired a papal visit: John Paul II had already wished to travel to Hanoi, and there had even been contacts to that effect. Pope Francis had spoken explicitly of a possible trip to Hanoi in September 2023, on his return from Mongolia. Responding to a question on the matter, the Pope had said: “If I don’t go, John XXIV will certainly go…”, alluding to his successor. That wish could therefore come true soon, perhaps in 2027, the year in which Leo XIV is already expected in Asia in August for World Youth Day, scheduled to take place in Seoul.