ROME – After a massive earthquake hit Taiwan this week, killing at least 10 people, the island’s nuncio to the Holy See expressed gratitude for the world’s unity and, above all, for the spiritual closeness of Pope Francis. .
“Immediately after the earthquake, the Taiwanese government immediately set up a central emergency response center and began working with local governments to prepare for various emergencies, rescue, and provide relief,” said Ambassador Matthew Lee, Special Envoy to Taiwan of the Holy See. said. core.
As the country mourns the victims and deals with the massive earthquake damage, “the road to recovery from the disaster has already begun,” Lee said.
“Pope Francis’ telegram of condolence to Taiwan, along with condolences from more than 100 heads of state and government officials from around the world, is a great encouragement not only to Taiwan’s Catholic community but also to Taiwanese society as a whole. ” He said.
Lee said Pope Francis’ “heartfelt solidarity and spiritual closeness” during these difficult times for Taiwan “are particularly touching to the hearts of the Taiwanese people.”
“On behalf of the Taiwanese people and government, I would like to express our sincere gratitude to Pope Francis and all those who have conveyed their condolences to Taiwan,” he said.
Lee’s remarks came after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Hualien City on Wednesday, killing 10 people, injuring more than 1,000 and displacing countless others. As of Friday, rescue workers were still searching for 18 missing people.
The tremor was Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in 25 years, since the 1997 quake that killed 2,400 people and injured 10,000 in central Taiwan.
On April 6, in a telegram signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin of Italy and addressed to Bishop John Baptist Lee Ke-min of Hsinchu, president of the Taiwan-China Regional Bishops’ Conference, Pope Francis said: I am very sorry to hear about this.” Loss of life and damage caused by earthquake in Taiwan. ”
The Pope assured all those affected by the tragedy of “heartfelt solidarity and spiritual intimacy.”
Despite the continued courtship of China, the Holy See remains one of Taiwan’s few diplomatic allies and its only diplomatic partner in Europe, and the two countries have strong cooperation in humanitarian and various philanthropic efforts. are enjoying.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Italy, the Taiwanese Embassy in Rome was most active in distributing sanitary aid packages to various religious communities and institutes in Rome and other parts of the country. .
The embassy regularly hosts arts and culture events throughout the year, including a major celebration in conjunction with Taiwan’s National Day on October 10 each year.
The Pope’s telegram to Taiwan marks one of the few times the Vatican has directly addressed Taiwan in public, but it does not faze Chinese authorities as the Holy See seeks negotiations over its presence in Taiwan. This is because he usually refrains from making such statements. Permanent Papal Representative in Beijing.
Pope Francis has made engagement with China a feature of his 11-year pontificate, including a 2018 interim agreement on the appointment of bishops, which remains in force and is scheduled for a third renewal this year. It also includes various agreements. A well-placed scream.
This week’s earthquake has also shed new light on tensions between China and Taiwan, with Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday after its deputy ambassador to the United Nations thanked the world for its consideration of Taiwan after the earthquake. He accused China of being “shameless”.
China claims Taiwan, a democratically ruled autonomous region officially known as the Republic of China, as its own territory and often speaks on its behalf on the international stage.
After Wednesday’s earthquake, China’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Geng Shuang said at a conference on children’s rights that another speaker had mentioned an earthquake in “China’s Taiwan.”
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs later said, using the Taiwanese language, that it considered China’s psychological warfare, “We solemnly condemn China’s shameless use of the Taiwan earthquake for international recognition manipulation.”
In a telegram on Thursday, Pope Francis offered prayers “for all the dead, injured and displaced, as well as for the emergency workers engaged in reconstruction efforts” in Taiwan, and offered “all God’s blessings of comfort and strength. “,” he called out. ”
