Former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) on Sunday presented two gifts to the newly inaugurated Pope Leo XIV and had a chance to speak with other dignitaries at his inaugural Mass at the Vatican.
Representing President William Lai (賴清德), Chen attended the ceremony in St Peter’s Square, where an estimated 250,000 people gathered to witness the inauguration of Leo. The new pope was elected as leader of the Catholic Church on May 8, following the death of his predecessor a few days earlier.
The dignitaries at the inauguration Mass included US Vice President J.D. Vance and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, the Vatican said.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs via CNA
More than 150 delegations were present at the Mass, representing various countries and organizations worldwide.
Speaking after the ceremony, Chen said he arrived at St Peter’s Square at 8:30am, 90 minutes before the inaugural Mass, which gave him plenty of time to interact with world leaders.
He said he introduced himself to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, with whom he talked about Taiwan’s tech industry, including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC) new fab in Dresden, Germany.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs via CNA
They also discussed the possibility of greater cooperation between Taiwan and the EU in high-tech sectors, he said.
“This is something the EU is looking forward to,” Chen quoted Von der Leyen as saying.
Chen said he also discussed briefly with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz TSMC’s presence in Germany, adding that he talked with Rubio and former Japanese prime minister Taro Aso.
Rubio said he was pleased to see Taiwan represented at the inaugural Mass, while Aso said he was looking forward to visiting the nation again, Chen said.
Aso’s last visit to Taiwan was in 2023.
After the inaugural Mass, Leo received Chen, who presented the new pope with two gifts and a congratulatory handwritten letter from Lai.
One of the gifts was a set of postage stamps featuring Taiwan’s most iconic church architecture, while the other was a photograph of Leo, which was taken in Peru in 2020 when he was Bishop of Chiclayo.
The photograph shows then-bishop Robert Prevost at a donation ceremony during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Taiwan sent Peru a set of intubation equipment designed by three Taiwanese physicians to protect medical staff treating people.
The pope immediately recognized the photograph, saying: “Yes, I was there,” Chen said.
Chen said he also extended an invitation to the pope to visit Taiwan.
The pope nodded his head, but did not give a verbal response, Chen said.
“The pope is extremely friendly and affable,” he said, when asked about his impressions after his first meeting with the spiritual leader of 1.4 billion Roman Catholics.
Taiwan-Vatican relations would continue to flourish under the new pope, as the two diplomatic allies continue to enhance cooperation on humanitarian assistance, and to promote peace and prosperity, Chen added.
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