A Vatican official is making a rare trip to Taiwan this week for the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Buddhist charity, Tzu Chi Foundation, at a time when the Holy See is working to improve ties with Beijing.
The Vatican is one of only 12 countries to maintain formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, and the only one in Europe.
Tzu Chi and Taiwan’s foreign ministry said that Cardinal Peter Turkson, chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, was in Taipei last week for the charity’s anniversary events.
Tzu Chi said Turkson took part in a Sunday morning anniversary event in the eastern county of Hualien, where the charity is headquartered.
The Vatican did not respond to a request for comment.
On Sunday night, thousands of Tzu Chi volunteers and staff took part in the main celebration at Taipei’s Liberty Square, attended by Lai and also the de facto US ambassador in Taiwan, Raymond Greene.
Tzu Chi works around the world, especially in disaster zones, and while it is a Buddhist organisation, it works across faiths. — Reuters
