Vatican City: Former Vice President Chen Chien-jen, representing President Lai Ching-te, attended the funeral of Pope Francis in Vatican City on Saturday. During the solemn event, Chen greeted several international dignitaries, including former U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi.
According to Focus Taiwan, Chen was among the numerous world leaders and dignitaries who gathered for the funeral held in the square in front of St Peter's Basilica. Before taking his seat, Chen also exchanged greetings with Speaker of the Paraguayan Chamber of Deputies Raºl Luis Latorre Martnez. Chen expressed his intent to engage with international leaders while respecting the Vatican's arrangements. Although he did not specify whom he aimed to meet, Chen highlighted Taiwan's strong relations with many like-minded countries and his eagerness to hold conversations with them.
The funeral drew an estimated 250,000 visitors over three days, mourning the pope who passed away on April 21. The event was attended by around 170 heads of government or their representatives, including U.S. President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The Vatican maintains formal diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (Taiwan), one of only 12 states to do so. Historically, Taiwanese presidents have participated in significant papal events. Former President Ma Ying-jeou attended Pope Francis' papal inauguration in 2013, while Ma's predecessor, Chen Shui-bian, attended Pope John Paul II's funeral in 2005.
Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that Chen's appointment as envoy resulted from discussions between Taipei and the Holy See. Chen previously served as vice president from 2016 to 2020 under former President Tsai Ing-wen.