Tsai congratulates Pope Francis on 11th anniversary of election

Taipei, March 13 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) sent a congratulatory message to Pope Francis Wednesday on the 11th anniversary of his election to the papacy, on behalf of the government and people of Taiwan.

The people of Taiwan share "profound respect for the compassionate path that you have steered during your leadership of the Catholic church," Tsai wrote in the message, which was posted on the Facebook page of Taiwan's embassy in the Holy See.

Tsai also lauded Pope Francis for having "striven tirelessly to promote peace and goodwill, particularly in Ukraine and Palestine."

Taiwan "will continue to welcome any opportunity to work together to advance human fraternity, reconciliation, relief for the suffering, and care for our common home -- earth," Tsai said.

As the pope continues to inspire the world to "pursue the ideals of peace, justice, democracy, and freedom," Tsai offers her prayers for his good health, resilience, and success.

Along with the message, the embassy also posted images of Pope Francis and Tsai that were drawn using generative AI, as an effort to join in Tsai's tributes.

The Vatican is one of 12 sovereign entities and the only one in Europe that maintains full diplomatic ties with the Republic of China, Taiwan's official name.