Former Vice President Chen Chien-jen has attended Pope Leo XIV's inaugural
mass at Vatican City as President Lai Ching-te's special envoy.

Chen joined more than 100 world leaders and top church officials in St.
Peter's Square to witness the event.

Also present were U-S Vice President JD Vance, Ukraine's President Volodymyr
Zelensky. Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada, and Australia's Prime
Minister Anthony Albanese.

The dignitaries were part of an estimated 250,000 people who packed into St.
Peter's Square to welcome the newly elected pope.

Before attending the ceremony, Chen said Lai instructed him to extend sincere
congratulations to Pope Leo XIV on his papacy, and also hopes that diplomatic
relations between Taiwan and the Vatican will continue to strengthen.

Chen said he also prayed for stronger diplomatic relations between the two
sides and he hopes that the new pope can visit Taiwan while attending a mass
in the Vatican

Chen invited Pope Francis to visit Taiwan during a trip to the Vatican in
October 2018.

But that invitation was declined.

Chen previously served as Lai's envoy at the funeral of Pope Francis held in
St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City on April 25.