Holy See–Taiwan relations

Officially, the Holy See has maintained relations with "China" since 23 October 1942, but does not strictly clarify which government it considers to be "China." Unofficially, the Holy See views the Republic of China as the representative government, and maintains diplomatic relations with the ROC, with an embassy in Taipei. In 2018, the PRC and the Holy See signed an agreement allowing the pope to appoint bishops, potentially indicating a willingness to shift recognition to the PRC. When arranged alphabetically with other heads of state in Vatican ceremonies, ROC presidents are arranged under "Chine", French for "China" (French being the diplomatic language of the Holy See). The Holy See maintains negotiations with the PRC for recognition, however the Holy See has given the ROC assurances that any negotiations with the PRC will not come at the expense of their relations with the ROC. The diplomatic relationship is significant from the perspective of the ROC because its embassy to the Holy See is its only remaining embassy in Europe. ==History==

Before ROC retreat to Taiwan Agreement to establish diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the Republic of China was reached in 1917. However, this move was blocked by France, which by the treaties imposed on China at the end of the Second Opium War held a "protectorate" over the Catholic missions in the country. In 1922, Archbishop Celso Benigno Luigi Costantini was appointed to head an Apostolic Delegation in the country. Though Archbishop Costantini did not have diplomatic status, the Chinese government gave him the same honours as those granted to the diplomatic corps accredited to China at the funeral of Sun Yat-sen in 1925. Archbishop Costantini left China in 1933 and was succeeded by Archbishop Mario Zanin, who likewise was given all the honours reserved for Ministers Plenipotentiary. After the Japan succeeded in its invasion of Manchuria and the 1932 establishment of its Manchukuo puppet state, the Vatican retained its presence in the occupied region. and, with the presentation by Archbishop Antonio Riberi of his letter of credence to the President in 1946, the Holy See's Apostolic Delegation in China gained diplomatic status. In summer 1949, as the Chinese Civil War neared its end, Chinese Communist Party (CCP) forces captured the Nationalist capital, Nanjing. The People's Republic of China broke off diplomatic relations with the Holy See in 1951. The United Nations continued to recognize the Taipei-based government as that of China until 25 October 1971. On that date, the seat of charter member of the United Nations and permanent member of the Security Council, China, passed to the Beijing government (PRC). The Holy See downgraded its diplomatic relationship with the ROC. The nuncio to China, Edward Cassidy, was in 1972 named nuncio to Bangladesh and moved from Taipei to Dhaka (he continued to hold both nuncio posts simultaneously). Tauran stated that the nunciature in Taipei was the same as the one in Nanjing more than 50 years earlier. President Tsai Ing-wen unsuccessfully invited Pope Francis to visit several times. ==Gallery==

File:ROC Holy See Embassy.jpg|Like all other resident embassies to the Holy See, that of the Republic of China is located in Rome, outside of Vatican City, in a country with which the ROC has no diplomatic links File:Apostolic Nunciature to China (2015-).jpg|Apostolic Nunciature in Taipei, Taiwan File:Pope johnpaul funeral politics.jpeg|At the funeral of Pope John Paul II, Taiwan's President Chen Shui-bian (far left), seated as head of state in French alphabetical order (Chine immediately after Brésil) beside President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil and his wife == See also ==