Letter to the Holy See 2006 |
3 May 2006 His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI Dear Pope Benedict XVI May the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen! On behalf of the officers and constituent members of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT) it is our privilege to write these few words. Though the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan and the Roman Catholic Church uphold different faith traditions, we share the same foundation of Christian faith. Our respective churches confess the triune God and believe in salvation enabled through our risen Lord Jesus Christ. In our country both the PCT and the Catholic Church of Taiwan are active members of the National Council of Churches in Taiwan (NCCT). As we know, the Catholic Church is a member of the NCC in only two countries in the Asia region namely Taiwan and Australia. Outside of our mutual membership in the NCCT, the PCT and the Catholic Church in Taiwan share good ecumenical relations with each other and for many years have cooperated on issues such as Taiwan’s theological education, inter-faith dialogue, human rights, indigenous affairs, labor rights, the rights of the marginalized and so on. The PCT greatly admires the Catholic Church’s tradition of concern for society, as demonstrated in Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical “Of New Things” and in encyclicals such as “Christianity and Social Progress” and “Peace on Earth”. This concern was again reflected during the Second Vatican Council in “Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World” and encyclicals such as “On the Development of Peoples” and “On Social Concern.” These documents emphasize that the Church should uphold justice, defend truth, apply mercy and kindness, protect human dignity and human rights, and promote human development and world peace. The faith tradition of PCT parallel with our evangelism and mission commitments emphasizes concern for society. Since the 1970s, the church has been actively engaged in promoting human rights, human security, social justice, peace, democracy and self-determination in Taiwan.
Throughout 38 years of martial law in Taiwan, clergymen from both the Catholic Church of Taiwan and the PCT have suffered and been imprisoned because of their concern for Taiwan’s human rights and social justice. To this day we are extremely grateful for the concern and visit made by the Vatican’s special envoy during the time Rev. Dr. Kao Chun-Ming, former General Secretary of the PCT General Assembly, was imprisoned for pursuing justice in the early 1980’s The PCT is also an active member of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC). We were pleased to hear that President, Clifton Kirkpatrick and General Secretary, Setri Nyomi of the WARC had an audience with the Holy See on January 7th, 2006. It is our hope that the WARC and the Vatican can cooperate and promote justice in this world filled with war, poverty, conflict, environmental degradation, and disrespect for human freedoms. As is evident, the PCT and the Catholic Church share a common vision. We are confident there will be many opportunities to cooperate in the future. It is our sincere hope that the friendship and partnership between the Catholic Church and the PCT will not change despite the Vatican’s desire to improve its relationship with the government of China. As an independent and self-governing country in today’s international community, Taiwan has suffered discrimination and unequal treatment. We believe that Your Holiness can empathize with the Taiwanese people’s feelings of sadness and isolation. Furthermore, we believe that in pursuing a diplomatic relationship with the Chinese government, the Vatican will uphold truth and justice, and will not forget that Taiwanese people alone hold the right to determine Taiwan’s future. We also believe that the Vatican will grant the self-governing and independent country of Taiwan its due respect and dignity. His Eminence Cardinal Paul Shan, SJ was recently bestowed the "Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon" by Taiwan’s President Chen Shui-Bian. During the award ceremony, Cardinal Shan mentioned the main goals of Vatican diplomacy are not political, military, economic, commercial, or other worldly gains. Instead, the main goals of Vatican diplomacy are to protect and promote freedom of religion, basic human rights, social justice, world peace, and other ecumenical values. We strongly agree with Cardinal Paul Shan’s comments and we believe that the Vatican will act according to these principles. However, we can not overlook the point that any diplomatic relationship the Vatican enjoys with a country will inevitably carry political implications. To our sorrow, the international community repeatedly turns a blind eye on the Taiwanese government and the dignity of the Taiwanese people. Hence, we sincerely hope that, as the Vatican and the Chinese government seek diplomatic relations, the Vatican will also uphold justice and continue its diplomatic relationship with Taiwan. In doing so, the Vatican will set an example to the international community. Your Holiness’ courage and wisdom in this matter will greatly affirm the Taiwanese government and our people. It will also enable our nation to participate in international affairs with dignity and do its part in promoting world peace and justice. We pray for peace and justice in this world. We also pray for Your Holiness and the Catholic Church. May the triune God receive all the glory and honour. May peace and justice reign over all the earth. Amen.
Rev. Tan U-Choan Rev. Chang Te-Chien (Andrew) |