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Ma joins world
leaders at pope’s inauguration
SEEN AT THE HOLY SEE: Prior to the Mass, the
first couple hosted a dinner for clergy and Taiwanese living in Italy to
celebrate ties with Taiwan’s sole European ally
Staff Writer, with Agencies, VATICAN CITY
German Chancellor Angela Merkel,
left, President Ma Ying-jeou, right, and other officials attend Pope Francis’
inauguration yesterday at St Peter’s Square in the Vatican City.
Photo: AFP
St Peter’s Square is pictured
during the installation Mass of Pope Francis in Vatican City yesterday.
Photo: EPA
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday
stood among his counterparts from other countries in St Peter’s Square to attend
Pope Francis’ inauguration Mass.
Ma and first lady Chow Mei-ching (周美青) sat in one of the rows reserved for heads
of state. On Ma’s right was Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla, while
Chilean President Sebastian Pinera was on Chow’s left.
Aside from the five-person Taiwanese delegation led by Ma, others in the VIP
section included German Chancellor Angela Merkel, US Vice President Joe Biden,
Argentine President Cristina Fernandez, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe,
Prince Albert of Monaco and Bahraini Prince Sheik Abdullah bin Hamad bin Isa Al
Khalifa.
Prior to the ceremony, Ma was seen having a brief exchange with other heads of
state, including Merkel and Biden.
After the Mass, Ma and Chow offered their congratulations to Francis during a
brief audience.
The Vatican is Taiwan’s only diplomatic ally in Europe. The two countries have
maintained diplomatic ties since 1942.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs deputy spokesman Calvin Ho (何震寰) said that while the
purpose of Ma’s visit was to attend the inaugural Mass, he would not rule out
unofficial interaction with other world leaders, especially since Ma is staying
at the same hotel as many of them.
The first couple arrived in Rome on Monday and toured the Vatican Museums and St
Paul’s Cathedral before visiting the Taipei Representative Office in Italy. In
the evening, Ma and the first lady hosted a dinner for the clergy and Taiwanese
expatriates living in Italy, as well as for a Catholic delegation from Taiwan.
Ma said that the Republic of China and the Holy See have long cooperated in
religious and humanitarian fields, adding that bilateral ties are progressing
continually.
The last time a Taiwanese president visited the Vatican was in 2005, when
then-president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) attended the funeral of pope John Paul II.
At the time, an incensed Beijing refused to send a representative to the funeral
and filed a protest with Italy for issuing Chen a visa.
This time, China appeared to again be boycotting the inauguration because of
Taiwan’s presence, but the Vatican has emphasized it did not send out specific
invitations to any countries.
“No one is privileged, no one is refused, everyone is welcome if they say they
are coming,” Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said.
Li Xiaoyong, spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Rome, said: “There will be no
delegation from China. China has expressed its congratulations.”
Bernardo Cervellera, the Rome director of AsiaNews, said the Chinese reaction
was “like a broken record — it masks the fact that they do not really know what
to do.”
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