US embassy cable - 05VATICAN142

UNCLAS VATICAN 000142 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/WE (LEVIN); EAP/BCLTV; DRL/IRF 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, KIRF, VM, VT 
SUBJECT: VIETNAM WARMING TO RELATIONS WITH HOLY SEE? 
 
REF: 04 Vatican 1988 
 
1.(U) Italian news agency ANSA reported January 12 that 
Vietnam may be considering establishing diplomatic 
relations with the Holy See.  In the wake of Italian 
Parliamentary Speaker (Chamber of Deputies President) Pier 
Ferdinando Casini's visit to Vietnam and his meeting with 
President Luong and First DPM Dung, ANSA reported that 
Vietnamese state television broadcast comments indicating 
the GOVN's openness to establishing a diplomatic 
relationship with the Vatican.  The report cited comments 
from government officials that relations were just "a 
matter of time."  Casini had reportedly raised the issue 
during his meeting. 
 
2.(SBU) Holy See FM Country Director for Vietnam 
Monsignor Luis Montemayor told Poloff January 14 that he 
had not yet seen the official report on what was actually 
said in Casini's meeting with the GOVN, so he was not yet 
sure what to make of the development.  He was not overly 
optimistic, however, and indicated that the Vatican would 
see if the annual visit of a Holy See delegation to 
Vietnam, tentatively scheduled for April, would generate 
any new directions.  The government of Italy's interest in 
the matter "is part of the friendly cooperation in matters 
of common interest" between the Vatican and Italy, 
Montemayor explained.  Indeed, Italians officials often 
make approaches on behalf of the Holy See when dealing with 
countries that have strained ties or no diplomatic 
relations with the Vatican. 
 
3.(SBU) Comment:  Last April's visit to Vietnam by 
Vatican officials left the Holy See feeling satisfied that 
t 
they had made modest progress in certain areas such as the 
provision of social services to local governments by 
religious workers (reftel).  Reports also indicate that 
there has been some progress on the selection of bishops, 
and the training and ordination of seminarians. 
Nevertheless, the Church still faces restrictions and hopes 
to see additional positive signs in the months ahead.  If 
it does, the Year of the Rooster could auger well for 
progress towards more formal relations between Vietnam and 
the Vatican.  The Holy See is maintaining a healthy 
skepticism, however, as optimistic indications have often 
failed to bring concrete progress. 
 
Nicholson 
 
 
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 2005VATICA00142 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED