Portrait of Pope Francis at the interfaith mass at the Buenos Aires Cathedral, Argentina on April 22 - Photo: AFP

At the regular press conference on April 24, in response to a request for comment on the passing of Pope Francis, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang said: Immediately after receiving the news of Pope Francis' passing, on behalf of the Party, State and people of Vietnam, President Luong Cuong, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son sent condolences to the Holy See.

"We would like to send our deepest condolences to the Vatican, the Catholic community worldwide and the entire Vietnamese Catholic Church at home and abroad.

Vietnam appreciates the role of Pope Francis in promoting relations between Vietnam and the Vatican, as well as in his instructions to encourage Vietnamese dignitaries, monks, nuns, and Catholic compatriots to accompany the nation and contribute to the cause of building and developing Vietnam," Ms. Hang said.

Pope Francis passed away at 7:35 a.m. on April 21 (local time) at his residence in the Santa Marta guesthouse in the Vatican, at the age of 88.

The Vatican later confirmed the cause of the Pope's death was a stroke, which led to a coma and heart failure.

He is the 266th pope of the Catholic Church, the first pope from the Society of Jesus, and the first pope from Latin America.

During his 12 years leading the Catholic Church, he was known for his humility, as a pope who focused on social justice, interreligious dialogue and church reform.

The Vatican has released Pope Francis' spiritual will, in which he expressed his wish to be laid to rest in the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome, instead of St. Peter's Basilica like many of his predecessors.

"The tomb must be underground, simple, without any special decoration and engraved with only one word: Franciscus," the Pope's will stated.

The Pope has met many Vietnamese leaders.

Since his election as head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis has met with Vietnamese leaders at the Vatican many times. He has met with two Presidents, a National Assembly Chairman, and a permanent Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam.

During his most recent meeting with Vietnamese leaders in July 2023, Pope Francis affirmed that the Holy See wishes for the Vatican - Vietnam relationship to develop increasingly well.

He also emphasized that the Catholic Church in Vietnam needs to continue to better implement the guidelines of "accompanying the nation" and "good parishioners are good citizens", while encouraging Catholic parishioners and dignitaries in Vietnam to actively contribute to the development of the country and the Church.

Tuoitre.vn

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/viet-nam-tran-trong-vai-tro-cua-giao-hoang-francis-20250424162602318.htm#content