Cardinal Paul Shan Kuo-hsi, bishop emeritus of Kaohsiung and leading Roman Catholic figure in Taiwan, died of acute pneumonia Aug. 22 in New Taipei City.
Born in Hebei province, mainland China, in 1923, Shan joined the Society of Jesus in 1946, and was ordained a priest in the Philippines in 1955. He served as bishop of Hualien from 1979 to 1991 and bishop of Kaohsiung between 1991 and 2006. Shan was made a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 1998.
Shan was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2006, with doctors predicting he had no more than six months to live. Over the past years, he toured Taiwan and gave over 200 lectures titled “Farewell to My Life,” speaking to more than 120,000 people at schools, prisons and hospitals about coming to terms with death.
“I regard this disease as a gift from God, reminding me to make good use of the remaining days of my life,” he said in 2007. “I felt like sharing my experience and encouraging people to make the most of every day the Lord gives us.”
Shan made significant contributions to reconciling difference among churches in Taiwan and improving interaction with Protestant denominations, according to Tsai Wei-ming, a professor in the Department of Religious Culture and Organization Management Studies at Aletheia University in New Taipei City.
He also maintained close contact with representatives of Taiwan’s major Buddhist organizations, including Master Sheng Yen of Dharma Drum Mountain and Fo Guang Shan Master Hsing Yun.
Churches around Taiwan will celebrate Masses for Shan Aug. 23. His body will be moved to Kaohsiung later this week for a funeral Mass before being buried in Changhua County. (THN)