Why a Papal Trip to Vietnam is Now Possible

Until quite recently, a papal visit to Vietnam would have seemed fanciful, like a pontifical trip to the North Pole or Mars. But this week, it began to look like a genuine possibility. That is surprising, given that no pope has ever set foot in the Southeast Asian country officially known as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and home to almost 100 million people, around 7 million of whom are Catholic. It’s also remarkable given that Vietnam is an officially atheist, one-party communist state and one of the few countries lacking full diplomatic relations with the Holy See. So, why is a papal visit suddenly looking feasible?