Pope urges Taiwan’s bishops in evangelization and promoting the family

(December 12, 2008) Pope Benedict XVI on Friday prayed that the Catholics of Taiwan continue to be spiritually united with their brothers and sisters in mainland China. The Pope made the remark while addressing the bishops of Taiwan at the end of their 5-yearly so-called ‘ad limina’ visit to Rome. Pope Benedict encouraged the Church of Taiwan, marking 150 years of evangelisation this year, in its pastoral commitment of fostering the faith life of its flock, especially through catechesis and by protecting and promoting the family. The Pope stressed on the priority of forming catechists, with whose help, he said, well-planned catechetical programmes could be drawn to lead the faithful to an ever-deepening encounter with God. Taiwan’s some 308,000 Catholics account for 1.37% of its nearly 23 million mainly Buddhist and Taoist population. The Holy Father stressed that “effective catechesis inevitably builds stronger families,” which in turn “give birth to new priestly vocations.” Calling the family the “domestic Church” and the “first and vital cell” of society, the Pope commended the bishops’ efforts in helping couples preserve the indissolubility of their marital promises. He urged them to tirelessly promote just civil legislation and policies that protect the sacredness of marriage. “Safeguard this sacrament from all that can harm it, especially the deliberate taking of life in its most vulnerable stages,” he said. Among other things, Pope Benedict also encouraged the Church of Taiwan its commitment to preach the Gospel to non-believers, foster priestly vocations and care for migrants and their human rights.