Taiwan president briefs pope about exchange

TAIWAN president Ma Ying-jeou has told the pope about his efforts for peace through promoting cross-straits religious exchanges with mainland China in response to the pope’s message for the World Day of Peace for 2011.

“I have actively promoted economic and cultural ties between Taiwan and mainland China in the hope of bringing about cross-strait peace and prosperity,” Ma wrote in his open letter.

Religious ties between the two sides become closer, with many priests from mainland China visiting Taiwan, he noted.

In less than six months since last September, the Catholic Church and other religions in Taiwan have received two high-level religious delegations from mainland China, including one led by Wang Zuo’an, director of the state administration for religious affairs.

Ma also said he shared the pope’s view that when religious freedom is acknowledged, human dignity is “respected at its root” and reaffirmed Taiwan’s determination to promote universal values such as democracy, human rights and religious freedom as it marks its centenary.

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