Taiwan's ambassador to the Vatican Tou Chou-seng (杜筑生) revealed yesterday that his African chef -- a devout Muslim -- is his "secret weapon" in doing diplomatic work in the Holy See.
The chef started working for Tou when he was the ambassador to Senegal.
"In the beginning, he did not quite understand the format of diplomatic banquets. He cut meat into big chunks and served all courses within a short period," Tou said.
Tou, who is in Taipei to present a report on Taiwan-Vatican ties in the legislature, yesterday shared some anecdotes of his experiences in the Holy See with reporters.
The ambassador said his wife was dedicated in training the chef, who learnt how to make various Chinese delicacies.
"The delicious food my chef makes has indeed played a vital role in promoting interaction between Taiwanese and Vatican officials," Tou said.
"Vatican officials and clerics, including many cardinals, have showered praise on my chef's excellent cooking skills. He is a famous figure in the Vatican indeed," the ambassador said.
Tou also told how he taught President Chen Shui-bian (
"I told the president he only needed to follow what other people do during the mass. But I told him that, because he is not a Catholic, he should not kneel down when other people do so," the ambassador said.
"I think the president went through the mass rituals properly," he added.
Tou also introduced Chen to many Vatican officials and heads of state after the mass.
The ambassador said he told the president's delegation that it might not be possible for them to leave their seats to go to the toilet during the four-hour mass.
"After my briefing, no member of the president's delegation dared drink any juice or coffee," he said.
He added that the president's bodyguards were very concerned about his safety during the mass, because they felt they were not close enough to Chen to adequately protect him.
Tou, who was appointed ambassador to the Vatican last year, said Pope John Paul was already ill when he arrived at the Holy See.
The ambassador then started visiting potential successors to John Paul. One of the cardinals he visited was Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who is now Pope Benedict XVI.
"Cardinal Ratzinger told me at that time that he hoped the people of Taiwan could help people in China gain freedom," Tou said.
The ambassador, who said he is a faithful follower of Confucius' teachings, does not feel inclined to convert to Catholicism.
"So far it seems that I haven't been touched by Catholicism," he said.
AGING: While Japan has 22 submarines, Taiwan only operates four, two of which were commissioned by the US in 1945 and 1946, and transferred to Taiwan in 1973 Taiwan would need at least 12 submarines to reach modern fleet capabilities, CSBC Corp, Taiwan chairman Chen Cheng-hung (陳政宏) said in an interview broadcast on Friday, citing a US assessment. CSBC is testing the nation’s first indigenous defense submarine, the Hai Kun (海鯤, Narwhal), which is scheduled to be delivered to the navy next month or in July. The Hai Kun has completed torpedo-firing tests and is scheduled to undergo overnight sea trials, Chen said on an SET TV military affairs program. Taiwan would require at least 12 submarines to establish a modern submarine force after assessing the nation’s operational environment and defense
Yangmingshan National Park authorities yesterday urged visitors to respect public spaces and obey the law after a couple was caught on a camera livestream having sex at the park’s Qingtiangang (擎天崗) earlier in the day. The Shilin Police Precinct in Taipei said it has identified a suspect and his vehicle registration number, and would summon him for questioning. The case would be handled in accordance with public indecency charges, it added. The couple entered the park at about 11pm on Thursday and began fooling around by 1am yesterday, the police said, adding that the two were unaware of the park’s all-day live
The coast guard today said that it had disrupted "illegal" operations by a Chinese research ship in waters close to the nation and driven it away, part of what Taipei sees a provocative pattern of China's stepped up maritime activities. The coast guard said that it on Thursday last week detected the Chinese ship Tongji (同濟號), which was commissioned only last year, 29 nautical miles (54km) southeast of the southern tip of Taiwan, although just outside restricted waters. The ship was observed lowering ropes into the water, suspected to be the deployment of scientific instruments for "illegal" survey operations, and the coast
A former soldier and an active-duty army officer were yesterday indicted for allegedly selling classified military training materials to a Chinese intelligence operative for a total of NT$79,440. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office indicted Chen Tai-yin (陳泰尹) and Lee Chun-ta (李俊達) for contravening the National Security Act (國家安全法) and the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例). Chen left the military in September 2013 after serving alongside then-staff sergeant Lee, now an army lieutenant, at the 21st Artillery Command of the army’s Sixth Corps from 2011 to 2013, according to the indictment. Chen met a Chinese intelligence operative identified as “Wang” (王) through a friend in November
RSS