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A delegation led by Vice President Chen Chien-jen arrived at Rome's Leonardo da Vinci International Airport on the morning of October 11 local time (the afternoon of October 11 Taipei time) to attend the canonization of Cardinal John Henry Newman and four other blesseds. Upon leaving the plane, the vice president and his wife were immediately met by a courtesy shuttle that whisked them to the airport's state protocol lounge, where they were greeted by ROC Ambassador to the Holy See Matthew S.M. Lee (李世明).
Vice President and Mrs. Chen and their delegation headed over to the ROC Embassy to the Holy See, where Ambassador Lee briefed them about their itinerary. They then toured an exhibition titled, "The Light of the World—Contemporary Arts from Taiwan."
A translation of the vice president's remarks follows:
I am honored that President Tsai Ing-wen appointed me to lead a delegation to the Vatican, and attend the canonization of Cardinal Newman and four other blesseds. On behalf of President Tsai, I want to convey her concern and praise to our colleagues here at the embassy for all you've all done to maintain our friendly diplomatic ties. We hope that outside your busy official duties, you will also take good care of yourselves, and your families, and continue to work for our country.
Over the past few years, Taiwan and the Holy See have seen significant progress in our efforts to provide humanitarian aid, prevent human trafficking, conduct cultural exchanges, and engage in reciprocal visits. The embassy has actively deepened Taiwan-Vatican relations, and also shown great creativity in cooperating with our Ministry of Culture, National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, and Taiwan Art Bank to hold an exhibition titled, "The Light of the World—Contemporary Arts from Taiwan." The embassy was transformed into a beautiful art gallery using selected works with Catholic themes, or Taiwan scenery, or indigenous tribal elements.
The embassy then invited Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, to attend a grand opening reception on July 3 this year for "The Light of the World—Contemporary Arts from Taiwan."
I just learned that the embassy also insisted on using lighting fixtures that were Made in Taiwan to illuminate the paintings. And the aesthetic effect of that Made-in-Taiwan lighting shining on Taiwanese works of art was really impressive.
Now I would like to address recent developments in Taiwan-Vatican-China relations. I firmly believe that the provisional agreement between the Vatican and China on the appointment of bishops, signed last year on September 22, will help harmonize the Universal Church and the Catholic Church in China. China then ordained two bishops in late August this year, and during the ceremony, stated that "the Pope has agreed to the persons selected." That shows that bishops in China are "appointed in Rome, by the Pope," so the Catholic Church in China has affirmed the Pope as its leader. We pray that this represents a first step toward religious freedom in China.
Here, I would also like to offer special thanks to Pope Francis for the congratulatory telegram he sent the other day to mark the Republic of China's National Day. In addition to sending best wishes to President Tsai and the people of Taiwan, the Pope also prayed to continue working together with the people of Taiwan to promote values like peace, justice, and unity.
In closing, I hope that everyone here at the embassy will redouble their efforts, and maximize their contributions to Taiwan by continuing to deepen substantive, bilateral exchanges between Taiwan and the Holy See, based on universal values like religious freedom, democracy, and human rights.
Earlier, Vice President and Mrs. Chen had visited the Taipei Representative Office in Italy, where Representative Lee Sing-Ying (李新穎) briefed them. The vice president thanked all the staff stationed there for their many years of dedication and hard work.
A translation of the vice president's remarks follows:
I remember that last October, when I led a delegation to the Holy See to attend the canonization of Pope Paul VI, I also visited this Office, and met with Representative Lee and our colleagues here today. I was quite impressed with your efforts to promote exchanges in government, the economy, academics, and tourism.
Beginning this past June, for example, the Italian government has allowed Taiwanese travelers to use the E-Gate system to quickly complete entry and exit procedures at Rome Airport, and five other major Italian airports. The Italian Civil Aviation Authority has also granted approval for Eva Airlines to begin operating four direct flights each week between Taipei and Milan. Those flights will begin next February. I am confident that these achievements will help promote friendly cooperation between Taiwan and Italy in the future.
I expect that the Taipei Representative Office in Italy will expand on our existing strong foundation of bilateral friendship to continue strengthening exchanges and cooperation in economics and trade, high technology, industry, culture, and the arts.
