Amid one-sided assessments of religious freedom in Vietnam, the Beatification Mass for Father Francis Xavier Truong Buu Diep at Tac Say Church, attended by a senior representative of the Holy See, offers the most convincing answer.
The Beatification Ceremony for Father Francis Xavier Truong Buu Diep at the Tac Say Pilgrimage Center in Ca Mau Province on the morning of July 2. Photo by Tao Dat.
Each year, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) repeats its negative assessments of the religious situation in Vietnam. As the commission's 2026 report once again recommended placing Vietnam on its Special Watch List, the Holy See sent Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle to Vietnam to preside over the Beatification Mass for Father Francis Xavier Truong Buu Diep.
It should be noted that many USCIRF reports rely on unofficial sources and information that lacks on-the-ground verification. This gap in its approach has led to assessments that are incomplete and fail to reflect the rich reality of religious life in Vietnam.
The Beatification Mass for Father Francis Xavier Truong Buu Diep at the Tac Say Pilgrimage Center in Ca Mau Province is an event of special significance for Vietnam's Catholic community. Photo by Tao Dat.
The Vatican's decision is the most convincing answer
Father Francis Xavier Truong Buu Diep was born on January 1, 1897, in Con Phuoc Parish, now part of An Giang Province. He spent 27 years studying at Cu Lao Gieng Minor Seminary and Phnom Penh Major Seminary before being ordained a priest. In 1930, he became parish priest of Tac Say in the Diocese of Can Tho.
During his ministry, he became known for his simple life, his devotion to caring for parishioners and his special concern for the poor. In March 1946, he was killed while protecting his parishioners during a period of armed conflict, and many have since revered him as a witness to the faith.
For a Beatification Ceremony to take place, it must undergo a rigorous review process by the Holy See. According to the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Vietnam, a Catholic who is declared Blessed is someone recognized as holy during life, at the time of death and after death, either through martyrdom or through the offering of his or her life.
In the past, the Church generally waited 50 years after the death of a Servant of God before opening a Beatification cause. Today, that waiting period has been shortened, but the process still requires a thorough investigation.
Once every stage of the investigation has been completed and approved, the case is presented to the members of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, after which the Pope makes the final decision. By the end of 2020, there were 3,003 Blesseds and 1,479 Saints worldwide.
According to the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Vietnam, Father Francis Xavier Truong Buu Diep's Beatification cause took 13 years and involved tens of thousands of pages of documentation.
The cause was formally opened in 2013. The diocesan investigation was completed in 2017 before being examined by the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.
In 2024, the Pope authorized the promulgation of the decree recognizing Father Francis Xavier Truong Buu Diep's martyrdom. The Vatican decided to hold the Beatification ceremony in Vietnam and appointed Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle to preside over the Mass as the Pope's representative.
According to the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Vietnam, the country has 117 martyrs who have been Beatified and Canonized, including bishops, priests, lay Catholics and foreign missionaries who died between 1644 and 1883. Andrew of Phu Yen (born around 1625 and died in 1644), regarded as Vietnam's first martyr, was Beatified by Pope John Paul II on March 5, 2000.
The question is this: if Vietnam truly did not guarantee religious freedom, as claimed by some organizations and individuals, would the Holy See have chosen the country to host an event of such significance to the Catholic Church?
The Vatican's decision itself provides the answer. It is difficult to imagine that the Holy See would choose to hold such an important ceremony of the Catholic Church in a country it considered to lack an environment that guarantees religious life.
In other words, the decision to hold the Beatification ceremony in Vietnam represents the Holy See's recognition, through its actions, of the country's religious environment.
The reality of religious life and Vietnam–Vatican relations
Religious freedom cannot be assessed solely through reports shaped by prejudice or one-sided information on social media. The most accurate measure is the reality of religious life itself.
Vietnam currently has 40 religious organizations representing 16 religions that have been officially recognized or registered by the State. Together they have 27,382,846 followers, 66,365 religious dignitaries, 120,475 religious functionaries, 30,374 places of worship and more than 70,000 traditional belief sites.
Major religious celebrations - including Vesak and Vu Lan of Buddhism; Christmas and Easter of the Catholic and Protestant churches; the Hoi Yen Dieu Tri Cung festival of Cao Dai; the Kate festival of the Cham people; and Ramadan observed by Muslims - are held on a large scale and attract large numbers of believers each year. Many of these important religious festivals have become celebrations shared by the wider community.
During the eight-year period from 2016 to 2024, Vietnam ordained or appointed 5,572 religious dignitaries and appointed, elected or selected 12,421 religious functionaries. The country currently has 66,356 religious dignitaries, 120,475 religious functionaries, and 40,075 individuals serving in both capacities.
(Report No. 3257/BC-BDTTG dated December 31, 2025, Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs.)
Across Vietnam, tens of millions of followers of different religions practice their faith normally. Thousands of religious festivals are held every year, while tens of thousands of places of worship operate on a regular basis. Religious leaders are trained, ordained and carry out pastoral activities in accordance with the law.
For the Catholic Church, recent years have witnessed a number of important milestones in relations between Vietnam and the Vatican.
In July 2023, Vietnam and the Holy See reached a historic agreement to establish the Resident Representative of the Holy See in Hanoi, marking a significant step forward in bilateral relations.
In December 2023, Pope Francis appointed Archbishop Marek Zalewski as the Holy See's first Resident Representative in Vietnam.
The Vietnam – Holy See Joint Working Group has also continued to hold its annual meetings. At its 12th meeting, held at the Vatican on September 12, 2025, both sides acknowledged the positive contributions of the Catholic Church to Vietnam's overall development, in the spirit of living the Gospel in the heart of the nation, with Catholics striving to be both good faithful and good citizens.
The Holy See's continued efforts to deepen relations with Vietnam serve as evidence refuting one-sided assessments maintained by some organizations and individuals.
After all, there would be little reason for the Vatican to appoint a resident representative, establish a permanent office and expand cooperation with a country it regarded as lacking religious freedom.
From legal provisions to lived reality
Vietnam's consistent position on freedom of belief and religion is clearly reflected in its legal framework. Article 24 of the 2013 Constitution states that everyone has the right to freedom of belief and religion, including the freedom to follow or not follow any religion. The State respects and protects everyone's right to freedom of belief and religion.
After eight years of implementation, the 2016 Law on Belief and Religion was amended and supplemented in 2026. The revised law further facilitates the activities of religious organizations, the training of clergy, the construction of places of worship and international religious exchanges.
Catholic faithful pray at the tomb of Father Francis Xavier Truong Buu Diep. Photo by Tao Dat.
Above all, the true value of the law lies not in its wording but in how its provisions are implemented in everyday life. And the reality of religious practice in Vietnam provides the clearest evidence.
From the successful hosting of the United Nations Day of Vesak celebrations in Vietnam, to the Catholic Church's regular pastoral activities, to charitable, educational and healthcare programs carried out by religious organizations, and the upcoming Beatification of Father Francis Xavier Truong Buu Diep, all of these demonstrate that freedom of belief and religion is being guaranteed through concrete conditions in practice.
The Beatification Mass for Father Francis Xavier Truong Buu Diep is not only a joyful occasion for Vietnam's Catholic community but also a vivid demonstration of the consistent policy of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Vietnamese State in respecting and safeguarding the right to freedom of belief and religion.
As tens of thousands of pilgrims make their way to Tac Say, as the Pope's representative presides over the Mass on Vietnamese soil, and as relations between Vietnam and the Vatican continue to deepen, one-sided assessments become increasingly difficult to reconcile with the reality on the ground. In the face of these developments, facts themselves speak more convincingly than reports shaped by prejudice.
To prepare for the Beatification Mass, the Diocese of Can Tho completed the planning of the event venue, with a projected capacity of more than 70,000 people. The site includes Tac Say Church, the tomb of the Servant of God, and a liturgical square on a newly developed five-hectare site opposite the church.
Authorities in Ca Mau Province inspected 146 accommodation establishments offering more than 4,600 rooms, while identifying an additional 300 hotels and guesthouses in Ca Mau, Bac Lieu and Gia Rai Ward capable of serving pilgrims.
To accommodate the expected surge in visitors during the celebration, local authorities upgraded surrounding infrastructure, paved sidewalks, planted trees along National Highway 1, strengthened waste collection, reorganized commercial activities and ensured public order and traffic safety.
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