Prefect of the
Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples Cardinal Ivan Dias has expressed
the hope that each Vietnamese parishioner would live the gospel amidst the
nation and be good and exemplary citizens in abiding by the laws.

Photo: Vietnam+

Cardinal Dias made the wish at a reception given
by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in Hanoi on January 8.

Cardinal Dias, who attended the closing ceremony
of the Catholic Church of Vietnam Jubilee Year 2010 at the La Vang parish in the
central province of Quang Tri as ambassador of Pope Benedict XVI, took the
occasion to highlight Vietnam’s national and religious policy.

He conveyed best wishes from Pope Benedict XVI to
the Vietnamese Party, State and people and affirmed the Vatican’s goodwill and
strong wish to promote its cooperative relations with Vietnam.

The Vatican is implementing many charitable,
medical, educational and other activities in various nations worldwide and hopes
to receive Vietnam’s active support and cooperation in the fields, he said.

For his part, PM Dung said Vietnam is happy at
both sides’ goodwill and the Vietnam-Vatican relationship is seeing positive
development.

The result of Cardinal Dias’ current visit would
make practical contributions to the fine development of cooperative relations
between Vietnam and the Vatican, he said.

The PM affirmed the wish of not only the
Vietnamese State but also its Catholic church and parishioners to continue
developing its fine cooperative relationship with the Vatican.

Vietnam is a country with 54 ethnic groups and
all major religions, including Catholicism, Protestanism and Muslim, in the
world are present in Vietnam, said the PM, adding that Vietnam has its two own
religions, namely Cao Dai and Hoa Hao.

The Vietnamese Party and State has pursued a
consistent policy of unity, equality and mutual assistance among ethnic groups
and religions to jointly build a prosperous and civilised nation. The Vietnamese
Party and State always create favourable conditions for ethnic groups and
religions to develop in an equal manner and in accordance with the law, he
emphasised

Vietnam always considers the Catholic followers
as its inseparable part and creates favourable conditions for them to conduct
their religious activities and well perform citizens’ rights, benefits and tasks
in line with the laws, he said.

In the immediate term as well as long term,
Vietnam will always be consistent in implementing its religious and ethnic group
policy, he stressed.

“Like any other States in the world, in Vietnam,
if any Vietnamese citizen, whether he is religious or non-religious follower,
breaks the law, he will be strictly punished in accordance with the current
law,” said the PM.

VietNamNet/Viet
Nam News