President Ma Ying-jeou on the evening of April 19 was accompanied by Premier Wu Den-yih, Legislative Yuan President Wang Jin-pyng, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Timothy Chin-tien Yang to the Apostolic Nunciature to attend a reception in honor of the fifth anniversary of the election of Pope Benedict XVI. The president expressed congratulations on behalf of the government and people of the ROC.
The president said that he was pleased to be invited to attend the reception to mark the fifth anniversary of the election of Pope Benedict XVI to the papacy, and extended his warmest regards to the Holy See and Charge d'Affaires Monsignor Paul F. Russell on behalf of the government and people of the ROC.
The president remarked that since Pope Benedict XVI's election in 2005, His Holiness has provided counsel and compassion to people whose lives have been impacted by natural disasters, poverty, and war. The president said the Pope has sought to use dialogue and love to eliminate barriers and hatred among people, to eradicate prejudice, war, and poverty throughout the world, and to foster world peace. President Ma stated that in looking back over the past year, global climate change has caused glaciers to rapidly melt and sea levels to rise. In addition, the world has experienced frequent earthquakes, typhoons, floods, and droughts. The Holy See, he said, is concerned that changes in the weather could be an omen that even more catastrophic damage from nature could be in the offing. In his World Peace Day message this year, the Pope reminded us, "If you want to cultivate peace, protect creation."
President Ma commented that as a member of the international community, the ROC is very responsive to the calls made by the Pope and has a deep sense of its obligations in the global village. The president said that in August of last year, Taiwan was ravaged by Typhoon Morakot, and the Pope immediately made a public expression of his concern. He said that the ROC deeply appreciates the compassion shown to the people of Taiwan by the Vatican during difficult times, as well as the longstanding support and concern for the Catholic Church here.
President Ma said that the ROC remembers with gratitude the assistance provided by the international community many years ago when Taiwan not so developed as it is today. Now that Taiwan has achieved a certain level of economic development, the nation participates in international humanitarian assistance work, and responds vigorously to calls by the Pope in this regard. The president noted that the TaiwanICDF for many years has offered courses in technology; economics & trade; farming, fishing, and animal husbandry; and cultural subjects to persons from friendly nations. Besides offering training here to our friends, he said, the TaiwanICDF has dispatched technical and medical missions to allied and friendly nations to aid in eradicating poverty, improving the health of the public in those nations, and creating job opportunities. The president pointed out that the ROC immediately sent rescue, relief, and medical teams to Haiti in January after a devastating earthquake struck that nation. Furthermore, medical supplies, food, and drugs were delivered from the ROC to Haiti on a chartered aircraft, he said. On the one hand, he said, this demonstrates the ROC's concern for the international community, and it is also, as Charge d'Affaires Monsignor Russell noted, yet another occasion on which the ROC has responded to a call by the Pope to extend humanitarian assistance.
The president called on everyone gathered for the occasion to raise their glasses in honor of His Holiness's fifth anniversary in the papacy, and to celebrate the friendship and cooperation between the ROC and the Vatican. He also wished everyone in attendance peace and happiness.