The ordinance stipulates that the Vietnamese Government respects and implements international treaties that the country has already signed or joined where there are discrepancies between the Ordinance and the signed treaties.

Religious activities have blossomed since the enactment of the ordinance. To date Vietnam has approximately 23 million religious followers, making up nearly 30 percent of the country’s population. Of the total, Buddhism has 10 million followers, Christianity 5.9 million, Protestantism 1 million, Cao Daism 3.2 million, Hoa Hao Buddhism 1.4 million, Islam 67,000, Tinh do cu si Phat hoi (The Pure Land Buddhist Home-Practice Association) 1.4 million, Tu an hieu nghia (Four Debts of Gratitude), Baha’i 7,000 and Ngu Chi Minh Dao ((The Bright Way Sect) 10,000. 

Since 2005 the number of religious followers has increased by 2 million, and religions by 4 to 10 with 29 sects recognised by the State.

The Party and State have respected and guaranteed the citizens’ right to freedom of religion and belief. As a result, the development of religions has been increasingly well organised. The country now has approximately 53,000 dignitaries and assistants and more than 24,000 places of worship, including churches, temples, and pagodas. All religious sects are licensed and guaranteed by the State if they fully meet conditions according to the law. 

In addition, training establishments and training activities have developed constantly in terms of the quantity and scale. Currently, the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha has 3 Institutes (enrolling more than 1,000 monks and nuns), 15 colleges and high schools and 15 elementary-level schools. Currently, 274 Buddhist monks and nuns are studying overseas.

The Catholic Church has 7 seminaries with more than 3,000 students. Seventy-two bishops and priests have attended seminars and long-term training courses overseas over the past two years.

The printing of breviaries, Buddhist sutras and other religious publications has met the demand for religious practice. Currently, major religions have their newspapers and magazines published across the country.

Recently religious individuals and organisations have expanded external relations with their counterparts in the region and the world. They have attended international conferences on religion and religious practice held abroad, and invited their foreign counterparts to visit and organise activities in Vietnam with the aim of promoting mutual understanding.

Foreign religious followers who are living and working in Vietnam have received assistance from local Vietnamese administrations in practising their religions. Cities and provinces have provided them with places of worship and sent dignitaries to help with religious practice.

Vietnam is willing to hold open dialogues with international organisations, which do not fully understand the country’s religious activities. During an official visit to the Vatican in January 2007, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung met with Pope Benedict XVI who said he highly valued Vietnam’s religious policy and activities. Two months later, the Vatican sent a high-ranking delegation led by a Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs to visit Vietnam and discuss the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two States.