Diplomatic ties with Vatican possible

Vietnam seems to be more open than before toward establishing diplomatic ties with the Holy See, according to Vatican sources. The president of Italy’s lower house of parliament, Pier Ferdinando Casini, visited Vietnam recently and was told by President Tran Duc Luong that establishing such relations with the Holy See is only a matter of time. On the other hand, Cardinal Jean Baptiste Phan Minh Man, Archbishop of HCM City, cautioned against too much optimism. He also noted that while there have been increasing signs of religious freedom in Vietnam in recent years, religious freedom in Vietnam is “still limited and permitted” rather than a basic human right. (AsiaNews, Jan. 21).