TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan will send its former vice president to the Vatican for Pope Leo XIV's inauguration, officials announced Wednesday (May 14). The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA, 外交部) confirmed that President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) has appointed Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) as the island democracy's special envoy to the papal ceremony.
The papal inauguration ceremony will unfold Sunday in Vatican City, where Chen will deliver formal congratulations from Taiwan's 23 million citizens and its Catholic faithful. His mission extends beyond ceremonial duties to strengthening Taiwan's relationship with the Holy See, its most significant European diplomatic ally.
Chen brings exceptional credentials to this diplomatic assignment, having cultivated deep Vatican connections throughout his career. The respected scientist previously served as an academician at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and holds two prestigious Catholic knighthoods: the Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great and the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.
Taiwan's foreign ministry highlighted that Chen's presence at the papal ceremony demonstrates the enduring friendship between the island nation and the Vatican. The delegation will include additional diplomatic firepower with Deputy Foreign Minister François Wu (吳志中) joining the former vice president on this high-profile mission.
The diplomatic bond between Taiwan and the Holy See, which has endured for 83 years, rests on shared principles of religious freedom, human rights, peace, and fraternity. Taiwan's government remains dedicated to strengthening this partnership, viewing collaboration with the Vatican as instrumental to advancing international humanitarian causes and global well-being. ◼
