Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam welcomes Pastor Franklin Graham

On the afternoon of March 1, Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai welcomed Pastor Franklin Graham, Chairman of the Billy Graham Missionary Association, and President of Samaritan’ Purse International Christian Mission and Relief Organization.

Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai welcomed Pastor Franklin Graham

(Photo: VGP/Quang Thuong)

Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai welcomed Pastor Franklin Graham to Vietnam for the second time after 5 years.

Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai said that after the COVID-19 pandemic, along with the economic recovery, belief and religious activities in Vietnam have returned to normal and are somewhat more vibrant to make up for the time of separation.

To achieve that achievement, besides the efforts of Vietnam, there also a great contribution of the international community, including the Samaritan’ Purse International Christian Mission and Relief Organization led by Pastor Franklin Graham. be President.

Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai said that, in the near future, in Vietnam, there will be a “Spring Love Evangelism Festival”, which is one of the great religious activities of Vietnam and also a testament to the activities of the Vietnamese people. Vietnamese life has returned to normal.

Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai stated that the Party and State of Vietnam consistently implement the policy of respecting and guaranteeing freedom of belief and religion, ensuring equality among religions, and promoting cultural values. culture, good ethics, and resources of religion for the development of the country.

The 2013 Constitution of the State of Vietnam affirms that the right to freedom of belief and religion is a fundamental human right. The Law on Belief and Religion in 2016 has created a solid legal framework to better ensure people’s right to freedom of belief and religion.

Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai: The Party and State of Vietnam consistently implement the policy of respecting and guaranteeing freedom of belief and religion, ensuring equality between religions, promoting cultural values, and promoting cultural values. good morality and resources of religion for the development of the country.

(Photo: VGP/Quang Thuong)

Information on the religious situation and religious policy of Vietnam, Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai said that Vietnam is a country with a long cultural tradition and a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country. Most Vietnamese people (over 95% of the population) have beliefs and religions.

The State of Vietnam has recognized and granted operation registration to 43 organizations belonging to 16 religions, with about 26.5 million followers, accounting for 27% of the country’s population, including over 54,000 dignitaries, over 135 thousand positions, and nearly 30,000 places of worship. Religions with a large number of followers are Buddhism, Catholicism, Protestantism, Hoa Hao, and Cao Dai,…

Particularly for Protestantism, Vietnam currently has over 1.2 million followers, more than 100 organizations, stable religious activities at nearly 6000 group points, and churches in 63/63 provinces and cities directly under the central government. , in which: The southern region in general, and Ho Chi Minh City, in particular, is the concentrated area of more than 90% of organizations and 70% of Protestants in Vietnam today.

Religions live together in harmony in the community of ethnic groups in Vietnam, and the masses of religious followers actively participate in the construction and development of the country.

Expressing his interest in community support activities that Pastor Franklin Graham and his organization have carried out in Vietnam over the past time, Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai wishes to take on the role of Chairman of the Billy Graham Mission Association. , President of Samaritan’ Purse International Christian Mission and Relief Organization, Pastor Franklin Graham will continue to have active activities to promote the harmonious combination of religion and life in Vietnam.

Pastor Franklin Graham: When I return to the United States, I will be your Ambassador. I am happy to share with the political world and the people of the United States the religious freedom I experienced in Vietnam.

(Photo: VGP/Quang Thuong)

Expressing the honor to meet Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai, Pastor Franklin Graham shared that the COVID-19 pandemic was the first experience in his life. The whole world seemed to stop. This is unprecedented in the world. Countries close their borders, everyone is staying at home.

According to Pastor Franklin Graham, the world has overcome the COVID-19 pandemic so far. The economic life of the world has also returned and although he is not an economist, he is confident that the Vietnamese economy will come back stronger than before.

Pastor Franklin Graham also expressed his joy at being felt about religious freedom in Vietnam; thanked the Vietnamese Government for creating conditions for him to return to Vietnam to perform his duty.

Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai thanked Pastor Franklin Graham for his good assessment of the socio-economic life, as well as the religious life of Vietnam.

Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai presents souvenirs to Pastor Franklin Graham.

(Photo: VGP/Quang Thuong)

It is known that Pastor Franklin Graham will visit Ho Chi Minh City in the coming days, Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai shared: Ho Chi Minh City is the locality with the largest degree of religious diversity in Vietnam. In Vietnam, spring is the season of festivals, the season of religious and belief activities.

Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai believes that during his stay in Ho Chi Minh City, Pastor Franklin Graham will experience the rich realities of Vietnam’s religious and religious life. Thereby, the Pastor will see the results of the policy of respecting the right to freedom of belief and religion implemented by the Party and the State of Vietnam.

The Deputy Prime Minister believes that the reality that Pastor Franklin Graham will experience in the coming days will be very different from the content mentioned by the US State Department in the annual report on the religious situation in Vietnam.

And from practical experience, Pastor Franklin Graham will have a voice to contribute to bringing the image of Vietnam as beautiful, hospitable, diverse, rich, and free in belief and religion to the Government and the Chinese people. United States and international friends, help the US State Department understand and soon remove Vietnam from the list of countries that need special monitoring on religion.

Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai welcomed and thanked the projects of clean water, rural sanitation, and helping disadvantaged children that “Samaritan’s Purse International Christian Mission and Relief Organization has implemented in Vietnam. Expressing his hope and suggestion in the coming time, Pastor Franklin Graham has more practical activities to support Vietnam in overcoming the damage caused by climate change such as storms, floods, droughts, mangroves, etc. to support children and women to study and have better conditions for production development.

Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai wished Pastor Franklin Graham good health and the members of the delegation; Wish Pastor Franklin Graham and their members interesting experiences in Vietnam and wish that Pastor Franklin Graham will have important voices to contribute to promoting the friendship relationship between Vietnam and the United States.

In response to Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai, Pastor Franklin Graham expressed: When I return to the United States, I will be your “Ambassador”. I am happy to share with the political world and the people of the United States the religious freedom I experienced in Vietnam.

Source: Baodientuchinhphu