Pope will not be invited to Vietnam

Pope will not be invited to Vietnam

HANOI (AP): Despite a request from Vietnamese bishops, the communist country has no plans to invite Pope John Paul II to visit next year, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said on Thursday.

The bishops had hoped the pontiff would be able to visit next August for the 200th anniversary of the sighting of an apparition of the Virgin Mary at the tiny village of La Vang. This year's commemoration drew more than 100,000 people.

Although Buddhism is Vietnam's primary religion, about eight million of the 78 million people are Catholics. There have been recent signs of improvement in the strained ties between the government and the Vatican, but religion remains a touchy subject here.

Only religions approved by the government are permitted; others are considered superstition that should be eliminated.