Vietnamese bishops tell Pope Leo that their Church is a family

Back in the Vatican after his 11-day Apostolic Journey to four African nations, Pope Leo XIV's schedule in Rome resumed immediately. On the morning following his return from Equatorial Guinea, he welcomed the bishops of Vietnam on their ad limina visit.

The “ad limina Apostolorum” visit, made by bishops in communion with the Apostolic See, aims to strengthen their responsibility as successors of the Apostles and their hierarchical communion with the Successor of Peter. Centred on prayer at the tombs of Sts Peter and Paul, it also serves as a key moment in the Pope’s pastoral ministry, during which he meets the bishops to discuss matters related to their ecclesial mission.

After the papal audience, Bishop Dominic Nguyen Tuan Anh of the Diocese of Xuân Lộc  described the meeting as fraternal, saying that even "after a long journey to Africa, [the Pope] took the time this morning to meet us with all his heart." 

With around 7 million Catholics, Vietnam is home to the fifth-largest Catholic community in Asia. Bishop Nguyen Tuan Anh relayed how happy the Pope was to hear about the local church in the country, which the bishop described as having a "strong faith." He added that in the ever-growing technology-driven world, the Vietnamese church is working to answer questions regarding faith and AI and mass media.

Therefore, the bishop stressed the need to "unite" to face these modern-day challenges.

The following is a transcript of the interview edited for clarity.