TAIPEI -- Taiwan's leader will make an unprecedented visit to the Vatican to attend Pope John Paul II's funeral, the government said yesterday, in a move that would likely irk rival China.Great! Give 'em he** !!
Posted on 04/07/2005 12:51:39 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
In rare trip, Taiwan's president headed to Vatican
By Annie Huang, Associated Press | April 7, 2005
TAIPEI -- Taiwan's leader will make an unprecedented visit to the Vatican to attend Pope John Paul II's funeral, the government said yesterday, in a move that would likely irk rival China.
President Chen Shui-bian will attend the pope's funeral tomorrow, the Foreign Ministry said. It will be the first trip to Europe by a Taiwanese president, who rarely make foreign visits because of China's objections.
The Vatican is Taiwan's only diplomatic ally in Europe.
But under pressure from Beijing, Italy had refused to issue visas to Taiwan's presidents in the past.
Michel Lu, Taiwan's Foreign Ministry spokesman, said Chen will depart for Rome today. Italy issued Chen a visa and will accord him with protocols reserved for heads of state, Lu said.
''He will take a China Airlines charter flight to Rome . . . and will return to Taipei" after the funeral, he said.
Beijing is expected to lodge a strong protest against Chen's visit with Italy. China considers Taiwan a part of its own territory and has barred the island's leaders from taking part in international events.
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
IMO, it is to be expected the Vatican will use the occasion of the Pope's Death to make several spiritual and political points. Some we'll agree with, some we will not.
I agree with this one.
Vatican is a committed anti-Communist country. It broke off diplomatic relations and official ties with the PRC in 1957 and has current official ties with Taiwan. In light of what Catholic doctrines have done to Communism and what John Paul II has done to the Eastern bloc and the Soviet Union, I can see that Beijing and Hu Jiantao are terrified of the Vatican. They know that their spiritual encouragment could one day likely topple their regime.
And speaking of Chen Shui-bian, this is the first and perhaps the only occasion for him in his official capacity to rub shoulders with George W. Bush, Tony Blair. I wonder will he receive colder shoulders than Fidel? Or is "Bushitler" going to get the snubs by these weasels? Will Euroweasels like Gerhard Schroeder, Jacques Chirac, and Jose Zapatero react as if they had seen a leposey patient when they found Chen Shui-bian near them?
What business is it of theirs, where a president of an independent nation goes?
Taiwan is an independent nation in fact.
Are the Communist Chinese really that dense?
No doubt we would see Euro leaders suddenly walk faster whenever they see Chen.
I agree that Chicoms are terrified of Christians. Communists worry much less about secular dissident intellectuals. However, they genuinely fear Christians and Falun Gong. They know from their history that the main forces to bring down dynasties have been religious sects(Maitreya cult, Daoism, Manicheanism,pseudo-Christian(Taiping)), which had popular support among disaffected peasants.
Yes, and other than the Vatican, so is the rest of the world. In fact, it is official US policy to work toward a reunion between Taipei and Beijing.
TAIPEI -- Taiwan's leader will make an unprecedented visit to the Vatican to attend Pope John Paul II's funeral, the government said yesterday, in a move that would likely irk rival China.Great! Give 'em he** !!
If the College of Cardinals really wanted to be bold, and send a message on the scale that they did with John Paul II, they should seriously consider looking toward elevating a Chinese (either from the mainland or from Taiwan) Bishop/Cardinal to be JPII's successor. If you think inviting the Taiwanese President would p*** of China, think of what a Chinese Pope would do to their psyche...
China doesn't recognize that fact, and so act like it is their business.
I agree. China would be speechless if Chinese priest becomes a Pope. Actually, I want to see that happen.
Yes, the PRC likely will be vocal, perhaps even shrill, in their protest. One hopes that Red China's little tantrum is ignored. I am glad to see that Italy is doing the right thing.
"I agree. China would be speechless if Chinese priest becomes a Pope. Actually, I want to see that happen."
Such an election would be cataclysmically devastating to the Chinese govt. It would be a rolling wave that would embolden their people to change. Are there any Chinese expatriate Bishops/cardinals in contention?
I would not mind them overreacting to this development. Actually I would go even further, and want to see a Chinese becoming an activist Pope like John Paul II.
I haven't heard any. Let us get our fingers crossed.:-)
I disagree. China's little tantrum should be made widely known and mocked accordingly. If China's leaders were not so geopolically and emotionally insecure, they wouldn't be bothering with such petty crap. They're so sensative, that it's a wonder that they don't get a ego bruise from changes in air pressure.
1.2 Billion CATHOLICS alone...then theres hundreds of thousands of protestants.
That would indeed be a remarkable and courageous choice.
I suspect that White House has keen interest in who the next Pope would be.
I suspect that the world has a keen interest in who's the next Pope.
Stalin said, "How many divisions does the Pope have?" only to have his political descendants lose power without the Pope's divisions firing a shot. Who said God doesn't have a sense of humor as well as justice?
"Be not afraid."
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