Vice president receives Opus Dei official, invites Pope to visit

Taipei, Jan. 12 (CNA) Vice President Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) met with Mariano Fazio, vicar general of the prelature of Opus Dei, in Taipei on Friday, and expressed his desire for Pope Francis to visit Taiwan.

In his meeting with Fazio, Chen stressed Taiwan's commitment to actively engage in global humanitarian efforts that the pope champions and the country's values.

He said religious freedom, democracy, human rights and love are the foundational values of Taiwan, and the government will continue to act on these values as it works with the Vatican and Pope Francis to deepen bilateral ties and promote world peace and human welfare.

The vice president expressed his hope that Fazio can bear witness while he is here to the growth of the Catholic Church in Taiwan along with the peaceful relationship it shares with other religious communities in the country.

In recent years, Taiwan has hosted many large-scale religious events, including the 24th World Congress of the Apostleship of the Sea and the Sixth Buddhist-Christian Colloquium last year.

Chen hoped that Fazio will share what he sees in Taiwan with his colleagues at the Vatican, and welcomed a visit from the pope whenever he sees fit.

The Holy See is Taiwan's only diplomatic ally in Europe, but while formal ties date back to 1942, no pope has ever visited the country.