The issuance of the documents of the 14th National Party Congress marks a profound shift in both perception and state management of belief and religion.

Building on the achievements of the 13th Party Congress, the Communist Party of Vietnam has introduced adjustments that are both breakthrough in nature and closely aligned with reality, meeting the demands of a new era of national development.

Drawing from years of practical experience in the field, the new document offers orientations that are both strategic and directly address existing bottlenecks in religious affairs. These updates are clearly reflected across five core dimensions.

A major step forward in theoretical awareness and freedom of belief

At the 13th Congress, theoretical understanding focused primarily on consistently ensuring the right to freedom of belief and religion, while promoting the positive cultural and moral values of religions as resources for national development.

Religion was acknowledged as a spiritual need of a segment of the population, one that exists and will continue to exist alongside the nation - reflecting a deep respect for spiritual life.

However, the 14th Congress marks a significant evolution in this awareness. For the first time, the Party more clearly and profoundly affirms this perspective, while also introducing a progressive addition of international significance: respect for the right “not to follow any belief or religion.”

At the same time, the identification of religious unity as a key requirement in building a socialist rule-of-law state elevates religious affairs to a central pillar in strengthening national unity.

A candid assessment of reality and state management

One of the most striking aspects of the 14th Congress document is its strong spirit of self-criticism.

While the 13th Congress largely assessed the religious situation as stable - with most dignitaries and followers trusting the leadership of the Party and State - the new document takes a more realistic stance.

It frankly acknowledges existing limitations, pointing out that the management of certain cultural, religious and belief-related activities remains inadequate and, in some cases, loosely controlled.

This candid approach provides a crucial foundation for state agencies at all levels to tighten discipline, improve legal frameworks and avoid superficial governance in religious affairs.

Formalizing and prioritizing “religious security”

The increasingly complex global and regional landscape requires a sharper security perspective.

The 13th Congress emphasized handling religious issues harmoniously, preventing “hotspots,” and firmly addressing those who exploit religion to undermine national unity.

Building on this, the 14th Congress takes a significant step forward by formally emphasizing the concept of “religious security.”

The document calls for ensuring increasingly robust religious security in key and strategic areas, preventing the emergence of hotspots and proactively addressing complex security and social order issues.

This reflects a preventive mindset - addressing risks early and from afar, rather than reacting after problems arise.

Renewing leadership methods and strengthening core forces

In terms of leadership and mobilization, the 13th Congress focused on uniting and encouraging religious organizations, dignitaries and followers to live “good lives and beautiful faith.”

The 14th Congress raises this requirement further by calling for renewed approaches to leadership, mobilization and engagement.

A key highlight is the emphasis on building core forces - individuals with credibility within religious communities. In practice, gaining the trust and support of respected religious figures is essential for effective public engagement.

The document also calls for specific and effective mechanisms to monitor and synthesize religious developments, paving the way for modern governance tools, including data-driven analysis.

Party development in religious communities

Building Party organizations in religious areas has long been a complex challenge.

At the 13th Congress, this issue was not addressed in depth, appearing mainly within broader orientations on strengthening national unity.

By contrast, the 14th Congress recognizes a breakthrough achievement: the near elimination of areas without Party members in villages and hamlets with religious populations.

The proportion of Party members who are religious followers is also increasing, reflecting the Party’s growing credibility among believers.

At the same time, the document candidly acknowledges ongoing shortcomings in Party organization building and member management in religious areas, while continuing to emphasize the need to develop Party membership in these communities.

Towards a more inclusive and disciplined approach

Overall, a comparison between the 13th and 14th Congress documents shows that the Party’s thinking on religious affairs is becoming more comprehensive, inclusive and grounded in reality, while also more disciplined.

From respecting the spiritual needs of the people to strengthening state management, emphasizing religious security and renewing engagement methods, all efforts converge on a shared goal: to maximize the contributions of religions while reinforcing the great national unity bloc for a prosperous and happy Vietnam.

Nguyen Duc Toan (Deputy Head of General Affairs Division, Government Committee for Religious Affairs)