Former Vice President Chen Chien-jen attended funeral rites for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI Jan. 5 in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, conveying the deepest condolences on behalf of the government and people of Taiwan.
As a special envoy of President Tsai Ing-wen, Chen was seated with the presidents of countries including Germany, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, and Togo; the premiers of the Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic and Spain; the royal families of Belgium and Spain; French and British ministers; and the head of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.
According to the ROC (Taiwan) Embassy to the Holy See, Chen expressed Taiwan’s condolences to the Holy See’s Substitute for the Secretariat of State Edgar Pena Parra, Secretary for Relations with States Paul Richard Gallagher and Head of Protocol Joseph Murphy. The religious officials appreciated the sincere friendship and great importance that Taiwan attached to the funeral rites, the embassy said.
The 90-minute funeral service was attended by around 100,000 officials from over 20 countries, religious heads, high-ranking clergy, ambassadors and representatives to the Holy See and Catholics from around the world, the embassy said, adding that Chen interacted with many of the dignitaries, helping to raise Taiwan’s visibility in the international arena.
Chen also took part in the Patronal Feast of the Holy Three Kings later in the day at the Pontifical Urban University to pray for world peace before returning to Taiwan. (YCH-E)
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