October 17, 2014
No. 229
Republic of China (Taiwan) Minister of Foreign Affairs David Y. L. Lin was appointed by President Ma Ying-jeou as a special envoy to lead a delegation to the October 19 beatification of Pope Paul VI at the Holy See.
Minister Lin will be accompanied by members of the Order of St. Gregory the Great, including former President of Fu Jen Catholic University Bernard Li, as well as Archdiocese of Taipei Infrastructure Committee member Wang Sheng-hui. The delegation will depart on October 18 and return on October 22.
Pope Paul VI reigned from June 21, 1963 to his death on August 6, 1978. He was the first to visit five continents and was the most-traveled pope in history. When the Pope named 33 new cardinals in 1969, at the head of the list was Archbishop of Nanking and President of Fu Jen Catholic University Paul Yu Pin, an indication of the faith the Church had in him and a sign of encouragement to the Church in Taiwan.
In making this journey, Minister Lin represents the ROC in paying his respects to Pope Paul VI. The Minister will also make use of the opportunity to strengthen bonds of friendship with the Holy See, a diplomatic partner of the ROC.(E)