Vietnam Invites Pope Leo for Historic Visit

Vietnam has invited Pope Leo XIV for a historic visit to the Southeast Asian nation. The invitation was extended amid warming diplomatic relations between the communist regime and the Vatican.

According to AFP on Sunday (12/4/2026), Vietnamese state media reported that National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man conveyed an “official invitation” from the Communist Party General Secretary and President of Vietnam, To Lam, to the Pope.

“Pope Leo XIV expressed his sincere thanks and his hope to visit the Southeast Asian country in the near future,” the Vietnam News Agency reported.

He also expressed hope for “further deepening bilateral relations”. Hanoi and the Vatican have not had official diplomatic relations since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, but a joint working group has met since 2009 in efforts to restore ties.

The two sides achieved a breakthrough in 2023 by agreeing to a “Permanent Papal Representation” for the communist country. Pope Francis, the predecessor of Leo XIV, was also officially invited to visit Vietnam, and the Vatican’s de facto foreign minister travelled there in the spring of 2024.

During his meeting with the Pope, Tran Thanh Man said both sides would continue to “strive to elevate bilateral relations to a new stage of development for the well-being of the people and for global peace and prosperity”.

Vietnam has around six million Catholics, accounting for about six percent of its population. Historically, the government has viewed them as having close ties to the former colonial power of France.

Human rights groups have accused the country of restricting religious freedom.