| Taiwanese Ambassador to the Holy See | |
|---|---|
 | |
Incumbent Matthew S.M. Lee since 2015 | |
| Inaugural holder | Hsieh Shou-Kang |
| Formation | 1946 |
| Website | Embassy |
The Taiwanese Ambassador to the Holy See is the official representative of the Republic of China to the Holy See.
| Name | Start date | End date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| HSIEH Shou-Kang | January 1943 | September 1946 | |
| WU Ching-hsiung | September 1946 | July 1949 | |
| Chu Ying | July 1949 | October 1954 | as an agency |
| Hsieh Shou-Kang | October 1954 | June 1959 | then became an ambassador |
| Name | Start date | End date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hsieh Shou-Kang | June 1959 | September 1966 | |
| Shen Chang-huan | September 1966 | March 1969 | |
| Chen Chih-Mai | March 1969 | January 1978 | |
| Chow Shu-Kai | January 1978 | August 1991 | |
| Hoang Sieou-Je | August 1991 | May 1993 | |
| Edward Tzu-Yu Wu | May 1993 | August 1996 | |
| Raymond R.M. Tai | September 1996 | January 2004 [1] | |
| Chou-seng Tou | January 2004 | 15 September 2008 [2] | |
| Larry Wang | September 2008 [3] | December 2015 | |
| Matthew S.M. Lee | December 2015 [4] | current |
The Holy See, also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome, which has universal ecclesiastical jurisdiction over the Catholic Church, and the sovereign city-state known as Vatican City.
The Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, abbreviated CPA, CPCA or CCPA, is an organization established in 1957 by the People's Republic of China's Religious Affairs Bureau to supervise mainland China's Catholics. In his encyclical Ad Apostolorum principis of 29 July 1958, Pope Pius XII deplored the attitude and activities of the Association and declared the bishops who participated in consecrating new bishops selected by the Association to be excommunicated. Pope Benedict XVI referred to the agents of the Association as people who, though not ordained priests and sometimes not baptized, "control and take decisions concerning important ecclesial questions, including the appointment of bishops." The organization is overseen by the United Front Work Department of the Communist Party of China following the State Administration for Religious Affairs' absorption into the United Front Work Department in 2018.
An apostolic nunciature is a top-level diplomatic mission of the Holy See, equivalent to an embassy. However, it does not issue visas, nor does it have consulates.
The Apostolic Nunciature to the United States is the diplomatic mission of the Holy See to the United States. It is located at 3339 Massachusetts Avenue Northwest, Washington, D.C., in the Embassy Row neighborhood. The current Apostolic Nuncio is Archbishop Christophe Pierre, who was named to the position by Pope Francis on 12 April 2016.
The Catholic Church in China has a long and complicated history. Roman Catholicism has existed in China in various folk forms since the Tang Dynasty in the 7th century.
Observer status is a privilege granted by some organizations to non-members to give them an ability to participate in the organization's activities. Observer status is often granted by intergovernmental organizations (IGO) to non-member parties and international nongovernmental organizations (INGO) that have an interest in the IGO's activities. Observers generally have a limited ability to participate in the IGO, lacking the ability to vote or propose resolutions.
Anne Maree Plunkett is a senior Australian public servant and career diplomat. She was the Australian Ambassador to Portugal from 2012 to 2016, with non-resident accreditation to Cape Verde and São Tomé and Príncipe. She was previously Australian Ambassador to the Republic of Ireland and the Holy See (Vatican) between 2006 and 2008.
Holy See–Italy relations refers to the special relationship between the Holy See, which is sovereign over the Vatican City, and the Italian Republic.
Relations between the Holy See and the Republic of China were established on a non-diplomatic level in 1922 and at a diplomatic level in 1942. The Holy See recognizes the Republic of China as the representative of China.
The Holy See has long been recognised as a subject of international law and as an active participant in international relations. One observer has stated that its interaction with the world has, in the period since World War II, been at its highest level ever. It is distinct from the city-state of the Vatican City, over which the Holy See has "full ownership, exclusive dominion, and sovereign authority and jurisdiction".
There have been no official China – Holy See relations since 1951. However, in September 2018 China and the Holy See signed an agreement allowing the Pope to appoint and veto bishops approved by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The agreement was renewed for another two years in October 2020.
Holy See–Ireland relations are foreign relations between the Holy See and Ireland. The majority of Irish people identify as Roman Catholic, according to census data. However, views on actual church dogma both on social and spiritual matters varies significantly, and weekly mass attendance is below 40%. The Holy See has an Apostolic Nunciature in Dublin.
The Apostolic Nunciature to China is the diplomatic mission of the Holy See to the Republic of China. The Republic of China is now more commonly referred to as “Taiwan”. However, as far as the Vatican is concerned, the Republic of China is the state of “China”. The Holy See does not have a diplomatic mission in, or diplomatic relations with, the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The Apostolic Nunicature to China is located at 7-1, Lane 265, Heping East Road Section 2, Daan District, Taipei.
The Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to the Holy See is the diplomatic mission of the Republic of China accredited to the Holy See, one of its few de jure embassies in the world, and the only one remaining in Europe. It also has responsibility for relations with the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.
Larry Wang or Wang Yu-yuan is a senior diplomat of the Republic of China. He is a native of Wujin County, Jiangsu Province. He is proficient in English and Spanish.
Italy–Taiwan relations refers to bilateral relations between Italy and Taiwan. Relations have been conducted on an unofficial basis since Italy severed diplomatic relations with Taiwan on 6 November 1970 and established relations with the People's Republic of China.
Paul Fitzpatrick Russell is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who was previously the Apostolic Nuncio to Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Azerbaijan and the head of the diplomatic mission to Taiwan. He is currently awaiting a new position.
 Heads of diplomatic missions of the Republic of China (Taiwan) | |
|---|---|
| Ambassadors | |