Taiwan Bishops' Conference Reports to Pope, 75-Minute Private Audience Highlights Importance

(CNA) - Rome, June 20 (CNA) - Eight bishops from the Bishops' Conference of Taiwan met with Pope John Paul XIV today for their regular report to the Holy See. Bishop John Lee, president of the conference, stated that the Pope listened kindly and responded to each bishop's questions during a private 75-minute discussion, demonstrating his concern and attention to Taiwan's dioceses. The Pope also pledged to pray for Taiwan, offering great encouragement to all.

This was the first report to Pope John Paul XIV by the Bishops' Conference of Taiwan since his inauguration. The eight members of the conference included Archbishop John Baptist Lee of Taipei and Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Yang of Taipei, Bishop Stanislaus Lo of Taichung, Archbishop Peter Liu of Kaohsiung, Bishop Thomas Chung of Chiayi, Bishop Norbert Huang of Tainan, Bishop John Lee of Hsinchu, and Bishop Andrew Huang of Hualien.

In an interview with CNA, Bishop Lee described the trip as fruitful, with the conference visiting several Vatican dicasteries daily. He noted that the Holy See is well-informed about the situation in Taiwan's dioceses and highly praised their excellent performance despite their small scale. Vatican departments also provided direct contact information, expressing a desire for closer communication with Taiwan's dioceses.

Bishop Lee said the report to Pope John Paul XIV was very warm. At the end, the Pope specifically expressed his full support to the Taiwanese bishops, saying, "Do not be afraid, move forward, and spread God's peace and love in Taiwan."

Bishop Norbert Huang stated that upon meeting the Pope, he first congratulated him on his 44th anniversary of ordination, which brought a smile to the Pope's face. He then informed the Pope that Taiwan will host the 6th National Eucharistic Congress in Penghu at the end of August next year, with the theme "Sacrificial Love," and expressed hope for the Pope's blessing and the dispatch of a special envoy.

Bishop Huang mentioned that the main gifts from the Bishops' Conference to the Pope were a wood carving of the Pope and a decorative item shaped like the island of Taiwan inscribed with "400th Anniversary of Evangelization in Taiwan." Additionally, the conference had translated some of the Pope's encyclicals into Chinese. One copy was signed by the Pope to be taken back to Taiwan, and another was left at the Vatican.

Archbishop John Baptist Lee stated that during his report, he conveyed greetings from all Catholic faithful in Taiwan to the Pope and requested his blessing. He also expressed the loyalty of the Taiwanese Church to the Pope and their desire for communion, to which the Pope nodded with evident pleasure.

Archbishop Lee said the Pope understood that although Catholics are a minority in Taiwan, the Catholic Church there works diligently for evangelization, contributing significantly in education, healthcare, and social welfare. The Pope specifically mentioned praying for Taiwan and working "side-by-side" for evangelization.

Bishop Thomas Chung shared that the Pope's willingness to listen to each bishop was deeply inspiring. He inquired about the Pope's experiences in evangelizing indigenous peoples in Peru, as he is responsible for the pastoral care and evangelization of indigenous peoples in Taiwan. "To my surprise, the Pope took this issue very seriously and spent a lot of time formally responding," he said.

Bishop Chung, who is of the Tsou tribe from Alishan Township, Chiayi County, is the first indigenous bishop of the Catholic Church in Taiwan. He shared that the Pope emphasized respecting indigenous cultures in evangelization and encouraged the Church to continue engaging with and caring for indigenous peoples. "The Pope's in-depth discussion on indigenous issues deeply moved me and inspired us not to abandon our culture and to strengthen our faith."

Regarding innovative evangelization methods, Bishop Andrew Huang introduced Father Josef Eugster's Foot Reflexology Health Method (FJM) to the Pope, noting its popularity worldwide for disseminating health information. (Editor: Wei Shu) 06/20/115

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