Vatican foreign minister in Vietnam ahead of possible Pope Francis trip

The Vatican's de facto foreign minister arrived in Vietnam on Tuesday hoping to ease strained ties between the communist Southeast Asian nation and the Holy See, and pave the way for a potential visit by Pope Francis.

In recent years the two have tried to restart diplomatic relations, and Gallagher's trip -- which will include tours of Hanoi, southern business hub Ho Chi Minh City and ancient capital Hue -- comes after a Vietnamese delegation visited the pope earlier this year.The government last year invited Pope Francis to visit the country and Gallagher is in Hanoi to work out the details.

Gallagher said previously that the Holy See was hoping to encourage the Vietnamese government"along the line of greater religious freedom, which they have in the constitution". It cites the country's"persistent -- and apparently worsening -- egregious, ongoing, and systematic violations".Anh Tran, associate professor of historical and systematic theology at Santa Clara University, told AFP that the communist government, in their Marxist interpretation, believes"religious freedom" is the"right to believe or not to believe".

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