President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said yesterday that Taiwan had made efforts to improve relations with China in part because of the pope’s moving and persistent calls for world peace.
Ma made the remarks at the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Evangelization of Taiwan, held earlier in the day at National Taiwan Sport University.
Cardinal Jozef Tomko, former prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, was present as a special envoy of Pope Benedict XVI.
Ma said that when he was secretary to then-president Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國), he often wrote responses to the pope’s World Day of Peace messages released each New Year’s Day.
Ma said he was deeply moved by the pope’s benevolence toward the people of the world.
He recalled that in one of the responses he wrote on behalf of Chiang, he emphasized Taiwan’s strong desire to heed the pope’s call for world peace.
“That is part of the reason behind our efforts to reduce cross-strait tensions and improve relations with China since I was sworn in as president of the country in May last year,” Ma said.
Over the past 150 years, Catholics have built 724 churches in Taiwan — with 300,000 parishioners — five colleges and universities, 29 high schools, 11 elementary schools, 166 nursing schools and numerous social welfare and medical institutions.
Taiwan has maintained friendly ties with the Vatican since the two established diplomatic relations in 1942.
Based on these historical and close relations, the president has expressed the hope that Taiwan and the Vatican will continue to strengthen cultural and humanitarian exchanges.
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