Former Vice President Chen Chien-jen (???) presented a total of €90,000 (US$89,600) from Taiwan to several Catholic groups in Europe on Monday to support their humanitarian efforts to help Ukraine refugees who have fled the Russian invasion of their country.
On behalf of the government of the Republic of China (ROC, the official name of Taiwan), Chen donated the funds to three Catholic groups and a church, including €10,000 to the Minor Basilica of Santa Sofia, the Ukrainian Church in Rome, on Sept. 5 after attending a mass for peace in Ukraine at the church.
In his address delivered at the mass, Chen conveyed the regards from President Tsai Ing-wen (???) and the people of Taiwan to Ukrainians in Rome and prayed for an end to the war in Ukraine, according to the Embassy of the ROC to the Holy See.
Chen praised Ukrainians for their unyielding resistance against Russia, saying that Taiwan deeply sympathized with the suffering of Ukrainians and would learn from Ukraine’s example to firmly defend themselves in the face of China’s intimidation and military threats.
Meanwhile, when visiting Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the head of the Office of Papal Charities, the same day, Chen handed over €30,000 to support Pope Francis’ charity work, specifically emergency relief efforts in Ukraine.
Krajewski thanked Chen for the timely donation which came three days before his scheduled departure to Ukraine on behalf of Pope Francis, and the government and people of Taiwan for having supplied aid to the Ukrainian people on numerous occasions.
Also on Sept. 5, Chen donated €20,000 to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta and another €30,000 to Caritas Internationalis — the humanitarian and development organization of the Catholic Church — to assist their relief operations in Ukraine during separate visits to those organizations.
On his visit to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, Chen was received by the religious order’s Grand Chancellor Riccardo Paternò di Montecupo, his first public meeting with a visitor since the order’s new leadership was formed on Sept. 3, according to the Embassy of ROC to the Holy See.
Chen and Montecupo, in the company of the order’s Grand Hospitaller Alessandro de Franciscis and other officials, also exchanged views on issues ranging from cross-Taiwan Strait relations to humanitarian efforts, the embassy said.
Chen is President Tsai’s special envoy to the beatification ceremony of former Pope John Paul I on Sept. 4, and is undertaking a nine-day trip to the Holy See from Sept. 3-11.
Chen is leading a delegation of six, including his wife Lo Fong-ping (???), a security detail, and his staff, according to Taiwan’s Presidential Office’s previous statement.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel