Anthony Ho (賀忠義), the new ambassador to the Holy See, presented his letter of credence to Pope Leo XIV on Thursday, officially beginning his tenure.
Ho succeeded Matthew Lee (李世明), who retired as ambassador to the Holy See and left the Vatican in May.
Ho said that when he presented the letter of credence, he expressed greetings to the pope on behalf of President William Lai (賴清德).
Photo courtesy of Taiwan’s embassy to the Holy See via CNA
He said that as a Catholic, he also conveyed the prayers of Taiwan’s Catholics to the new pope during their meeting.
He told the pope that Taiwan supports freedom of religion, and has always extended a helping hand when natural disasters, health risks and military conflicts hit the rest of the world, he said.
At the height of COVID-19 in 2020, Ho said that then-Pingtung County commissioner Pan Men-an (潘孟安), now the Presidential Office secretary-general, donated intubation equipment designed by three Taiwanese physicians to Peru to protect medical staff treating COVID-19 patients.
As the pope, who was then Bishop of Chiclayo, was the person who received the gift from Pan, Ho said that the encounter created a close link between Leo and Taiwan.
The pope said he was very impressed by Taiwan’s donation and kindness, in particular as COVID-19 had a negative effect on global health.
The pope also expressed his gratitude for the assistance of the government and Taiwanese to the Catholic Church, and said he would pray for peace in Taiwan, Ho said.
The Holy See is the only formal diplomatic ally of Taiwan in Europe. Formal diplomatic ties were established in 1942 when the Republic of China government was still based in China.
Beijing and the Vatican in 2018 struck a historic deal to work together on appointing Chinese bishops, which was extended for a third time late last year.
Tensions in the relationship have developed since after Beijing contravened the agreement by unilaterally making appointments.
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