The Apostolic Nunciature to China is the diplomatic mission of the Holy See to the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located at 7–1, Lane 265, Heping East Road Section 2, Da'an District, Taipei, the Holy See conducts its relationship with China through formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, and is the only European country in which Taiwan has an embassy. It does not have a formal diplomatic relationship with the People's Republic of China. The rank of a nuncio is equivalent to that of an ambassador. The post has been vacant since 1971, when UN Resolution 2758 was passed, recognizing the representatives of the PRC government as the only legitimate representatives of China. Since then, the mission has been headed by a chargé d'affaires.
History Efforts by both the Catholic Church and the Chinese government to establish direct contact began in the late Qing dynasty. Direct contact would break the restrictions of the Protectorate of missions of France. The Catholic Church responded to a request by Li Hongzhang of the Qing Empire on 3 May 1870 and established diplomatic ties. The church sent Archbishop Antonio Agliardi to China in early August as plenipotentiary with regard to diplomatic affairs. In July 1918, the Holy See and the Beiyang Government of the Republic of China agreed to send Giuseppe Petrelli and Dai Chenlin as their respective diplomats. However, this did not succeed due to objections from France.
Relations between the Republic of China and the Holy See strengthened in 1922 when Celso Benigno Luigi Costantini was appointed as an Apostolic Delegate to China, despite no diplomatic status. Official diplomatic ties were established in 1946 when Antonio Riberi assumed office as Apostolic Internuncio to China. In 1951, Riberi left mainland China following the relocation of the Government of the Republic of China to Taiwan. In 1966, the Apostolic Internunciature in China was upgraded to an Apostolic Nunciature. Since then, the Apostolic Nunciature to China sits in Taipei, Taiwan. Giuseppe Caprio became the first Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to China.
On 25 October, 1971, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution recognizing the People's Republic of China as the sole representative of China. The Holy See recalled the Apostolic Nuncio. Since that time, diplomatic affairs have been administered by chargés d'affaires. The diplomatic relationship between the ROC and the Holy See is significant from the perspective of the ROC because its embassy to the Holy See is its only remaining embassy in Europe.
List of representatives
Apostolic Delegates to China (1922–1946) In 1922, Father Celso Benigno Luigi Costantini was appointed by the Holy See as Apostolic Delegate to China, without diplomatic status. NameName in ChineseNationalityAssumed officeLeft officeCelso Benigno Luigi Costantini剛恆毅 Gāng Héngyì12 August 19221933Mario Zanin蔡寧 Cài Níng7 January 19341946
Apostolic Internuncios to China (1946–1966) NameName in ChineseNationalityAssumed officePresentationof credentialsLeft officeAntonio Riberi黎培理 Lí Péilǐ6 July 194628 December 19461951The Apostolic Nunciature to China was relocated to Taiwan in 1952 after the People's Republic of China broke off diplomatic ties with the Holy See.Giuseppe Caprio高理耀 Gāo Lǐyào20 May 195929 October 195924 December 1966
Apostolic Nuncios to China (1966–present) NameName in ChineseNationalityAssumed officePresentationof credentialsLeft officeDiplomatic titleGiuseppe Caprio高理耀 Gāo Lǐyào24 December 196630 January 196722 August 1967Apostolic Pro-NuncioLuigi Accogli艾可儀 Ài Kěyí16 October 196723 December 196729 September 1970Edward Idris Cassidy葛錫迪 Gé Xīdí27 October 19705 December 19701979Cassidy was appointed apostolic nuncio to Bangladesh in 1972 and held both posts concurrently but moved to Bangladesh and left a chargés d'affaires to head the apostolic nunciature in Taipei. Since Cassidy left office in 1979, the post of apostolic nuncio to China has gone unfilled; the apostolic nunciature in Taipei has since been led by a chargés d'affaires.
Chargés d'affaires NameName in ChineseNationalityAssumed officeLeft officeFrancesco Colasuonno高樂天 Gāo Lètiān2 August 19721974Thomas A. White陶懷德 Táo Huáidé19741978Paolo Giglio吉立友 Jí Lìyǒu12 July 19781986Piero Biggio畢齊樂 Bì Qílè6 April 19861988Adriano Bernardini裴納德 Péi Nàdé17 January 19891992Juliusz Janusz尤雅士 Yóu Yǎshì25 August 19921995Joseph Chennoth車納德 Chē Nàdé26 April 19951999Adolfo Tito Yllana易福霖 Yì Fúlín20 September 19996 January 2002James Patrick Green格霖澤 Gé Línzé18 January 20022003Ambrose Madtha安博思 Ān Bósī11 February 20038 May 2008Paul Fitzpatrick Russell陸思道 Lù Sīdào8 May 200819 March 2016高德隆 Gāo Délóng19 March 201610 August 2019Arnaldo Sanchez Catalan佳安道 Jiā Āndào10 August 201931 January 2022Stefano Mazzotti馬德範 Mǎ Défàn19 July 2022
See also China–Holy See relations Foreign relations of Taiwan Foreign relations of China Foreign relations of the Holy See Holy See–Taiwan relations List of diplomatic missions of the Holy See List of heads of the diplomatic missions of the Holy See Republic of China Ambassador to the Holy See
References
External links Apostolic Nunciature to China - Gcatholic.org About the embassy in China - tianzhu.org Nunciature to China - catholic-hierarchy.org