Vatican Appoints First Resident Papal Representative in Vietnam

Archbishop Marek Zalewski has been appointed by Pope Francis as the first Resident Papal Representative in Vietnam, the Holy See announced on December 23, VNA reported.

The archbishop, entering the diplomatic service of the Holy See in 1995, has worked in many countries. He was appointed the Apostolic Nuncio to Singapore and the non-resident Papal Representative in Vietnam in 2018.

While serving as the non-resident Papal Representative in Vietnam, he visited and conducted pastoral activities in almost all dioceses of the Catholic Church in Vietnam, and also met with representatives of ministries, sectors and administrations of localities nationwide.

Archbishop Marek Zalewski, first Resident Papal Representative in Vietnam. Photo: Vietnam Episcopal Council

Vietnam and the Holy See have recorded progress in bilateral relations, especially since they set up the regular dialogue mechanism of their Joint Working Group in 2009. Many meetings and discussions between Vietnamese leaders and the Holy See have since taken place, most recently the meeting between Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong and Pope Francis in 2023.

Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis used to send allocutions and messages to the Catholic Church in Vietnam, stressing the spirit of living as “good Christians and good citizens” and encouraging Catholics to lead a good secular and religious life and actively contribute local and national socio-economic development.

In particular, the two sides basically agreed on the Status of the Resident Papal Representative and the Office of the Resident Papal Representative in Vietnam at the 10th session of the Joint Working Group between Vietnam and the Holy See in March 2023. This status was adopted during President Thuong’s visit to the Holy See in July 2023.

The moves marked an important stride in bilateral relations and came as a result of a process of active opinion exchanges in the spirit of mutual respect, cooperation, and understanding.

They also reflect the Vietnamese State’s consistent policy of respecting and ensuring the right to freedom of religion and belief, and creating favourable conditions for activities of religions.

Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong meets with Pope Francis on July 27 during his visit to the Vatican. Photo: VNA

The appointment of Archbishop Marek Zalewski as the first Resident Papal Representative in Vietnam is expected to help promote the connections between the Holy See and the Catholic Church in Vietnam, as well as opinion exchanges between Vietnam and the Holy See.

In an interview granted to the VNA on December 24, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Vu Chien Thang noted that Pope Francis’s letter to the People of God in Vietnam in September and the appointment of the Resident Papal Representative have opened up a new chapter in the relations between Vietnam and the Vatican in general and between the Vietnam Catholic Church and the Universal Church in particular.

The official stressed that the upgrade of the relations not only demonstrates the sound foreign policy of the Vietnamese Party and State, but also reflects Vietnam’s recognition of the Vatican's goodwill and positive guidance towards Vietnamese Catholics, as well as the Vietnamese Party and State's attention to Catholic followers, encouraging dignitaries and followers to observe the law and support all-level authorities.

Thang recalled that in the letter, Pope Francis urged Vietnamese Catholics to be “good Christians and good citizens.” The pope also noted that the intention of the Church "is certainly not to replace government leaders, as well as emphazised the spirit of great national unity and religious solidarity.

The deputy minister added that President Vo Van Thuong’s invitation to Pope Francis to visit Vietnam reflects the Vietnamese State’s goodwill. "The Vietnamese State, the Vietnam Catholic Church and Vietnamese people are all delighted at the news and look forward to the visit by the Pope.

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