Vatican delegation to Vietnam visits diocese previously off-limits

Published: 2004-05-13

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- As Vatican and Vietnamese officials continued discussing religious freedom and haggling over the nomination of bishops, Vietnamese authorities allowed a Vatican delegation to visit the Diocese of Xuan Loc for the first time. Msgr. Pietro Parolin, Vatican undersecretary of state, and two other Vatican officials were in Vietnam April 27-May 2 for an annual meeting with officials of the government's Office for Religious Affairs. In a May 12 interview with Vatican Radio, Msgr. Parolin said the visit to Xuan Loc was a "surprise," because 12 previous Vatican delegations had not been able to go there. It is the largest diocese in Vietnam, and Catholics make up about 30 percent of the local population. He said authorities also permitted the delegation to go to Ban Me Thuot in the central highlands, where there were clashes April 10-11 between police and members of the Montagnard or Dega people.

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