Gov't welcomes Pope to region, will continue extending invitation

Taipei, Sept. 5 (CNA) The Taiwanese government welcomed Pope Francis to the Asia-Pacific region on Thursday and said it will continue extending an invitation for him to visit the country.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) made the remarks as Pope Francis began a 12-day Asia-Pacific tour on Monday. He will travel around 33,000 kilometers by air and visit Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore.

It will be the longest and most challenging trip of Francis' 11-year papacy. He will arrive back in Rome late in the evening of Sept. 13.

The 87-year-old has suffered health issues over the past few years and now uses a wheelchair.

MOFA said in a statement that it is happy to see the pope visiting Asia and meeting with Catholics in the continent.

MOFA has kept smooth and frequent communications with the Holy See and has invited the pontiff to visit Taiwan, it said.

It added that it will continue to promote closer Taiwan-Vatican exchanges and cooperation, including high-level two-way visits.

The Holy See is the only diplomatic ally of the Republic of China (ROC), the official name of Taiwan, in Europe.

A pope has never visited Taiwan despite the ROC and the Vatican having diplomatic ties for nearly a century. They were established in 1942 when the ROC government was still based in mainland China.

Former President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) publicly invited Francis to Taiwan several times.

However, the Vatican's relations with Beijing have warmed since Francis assumed the papacy in 2013.

In 2018, Beijing and the Vatican struck a historic deal to work together on appointing Chinese bishops, which is expected to be extended for a third time later this year.

However, tensions rose after Beijing contravened the agreement by unilaterally making the appointments.