Hanoi, Vietnam, Feb 2, 2008 / 10:17 am
In an open letter dated February 1, Archbishop Joseph Ngo Quang Kiet of Hanoi officially confirmed the concession from government to return the nunciature and praised the solidarity of Catholics in Vietnam and around the world.
Since December 18, thousands of Catholics in Hanoi and other dioceses have been organizing daily prayer vigils outside the former nunciature in Hanoi, pleading for return of the building that had been confiscated by the Communist leadership in 1959. Their protest has resulted in a stunning victory with the agreement from the government to turn the building over to Church leaders.