Joy among Catholics for the first visit of the Pope’s new representative to Hanoi

In the capital, Mgr Marek Zaleski held talks with government representatives and met bishops, priests, religious and faithful in the archdiocese. "It is my responsibility to 'guarantee' the bond of communion among bishops, between bishops and priests, between bishops and the community of God, and between the Vietnamese clergy and the Holy Father".

Hanoi (AsiaNews) – The Vietnamese Church welcomed with joy and gratitude the first pastoral visit of Archbishop Marek Zalewski (pictured), the new nuncio to Singapore and non-resident representative of the Holy See in Vietnam.

On 21 May, Pope Francis chose the Polish prelate as successor to Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli, who ended his term last year.

Mgr Zalewski was in Hanoi between 9 and 15 September. In the capital, he held official talks with government representatives and met with bishops, priests, religious and faithful in the archdiocese.

On the afternoon of 10 September, the Archbishop presented the Letter of Appointment of the Holy See to the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He then had a first meeting with Hanoi’s Catholic community.

In the meeting hall of the Archbishop's Office, Mgr Zalewski met with diocesan priests engaged in an annual training course. The prelate shared with them a personal testimony on the relationship and communion between priests and bishops, priests and laity.

The following day, Mgr Zalewski met the faithful during a solemn Mass celebrated in a packed S. Joseph's Cathedral. The service enabled him to meet with representatives of ten suffragan dioceses, located in the north of the country and on the border with China.

Card Peter Nguyễn Văn Nhơn, Archbishop of Hanoi, led the celebration and presented Mgr Girelli’s successor. "We are very pleased to meet and listen to our Archbishop Marek Zalewski,” he said. “We are happy and grateful for his appointment, a sign of the communion of the Church of Vietnam with the Holy See and the Holy Father, Pope Francis, as well as of the love the pontiff gives us and our country."

During the homily, Mgr Zalewski thanked the faithful for their participation and Pope Francis for sending him to “your beloved country” (đất nước thân yêu của anh chị em).

Speaking of his position, the Archbishop said that "the mission of the Pontifical representative is always linked to the mission of the Apostle Saint Peter. This is the mission of the Holy Father."

"It is my responsibility in Vietnam 'to guarantee' the bond of communion among the bishops, between bishops and priests, between bishops and the community of God, and between the Vietnamese clergy and the Bishop of Rome, the Holy Father.

“Another mission is to ensure the unity (sự hi np nhất) of the local Church with the Holy Father, in addition to the unity with the civil authorities in Singapore and in Vietnam," Mgr Zalewski said.

• vietnam
• vatican
• catholic church
• new representative
• pope francis
• marek zalewski
• pastoral visit