OCTOBER RITE: Six ‘blesseds’ are to be made saints on Oct. 14, including pope Paul VI, and President Tsai Ing-wen designated Chen Chien-jen to represent Taiwan
Taipei Times
Date: Sep 24, 2018
By: Su Yung-yao, Lu Yi-hsuan, and William Hetherington / Staff reporters, with staff writer
Vice President Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) is scheduled to visit the Vatican next month to
The Republic of China (ROC) flag flies outside a window at the ROC embassy to the Holy See in Rome, Italy, on Sept. 12, in a picture released on Saturday. Photo: EPA-EFE
attend the canonization of six beatified individuals, or “blesseds,” a source said.
The Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper) reported on the planned visit on Friday, one day before the Vatican and China signed a deal on the appointment of bishops, an issue that for decades has caused tensions between the Holy See and Beijing.
The Vatican is the only European state to recognize the Republic of China and is one of the nation’s remaining diplomatic allies.
While some media outlets have speculated that Saturday’s deal would lead to the Vatican’s breaking ties with Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs the same day said the Vatican had assured Taipei that the agreement “is not of a political or diplomatic nature, and will not affect the diplomatic relationship that has been in place for 76 years between Taiwan and the Holy See.” [FULL STORY]
