Taiwan sea Goddess Mazu meets Virgin Mary in Vatican

Taiwan sea Goddess Mazu meets Virgin Mary in Vatican

2024-09-26

Beigang’s Chaotian Temple in Yunlin is celebrating its 330th anniversary with a series of Mazu diplomatic journeys. Temple head Tsai Yong-de and his team departed on Sept. 19 to visit the Vatican, where they met with Pope Francis and presented him with gold and jade Mazu artworks. The gift represents a historic meeting of Holy Mothers from the East and West.

Tsai Yong-de of the Beigang Chaotian Temple personally presents a golden Mazu figurine to Pope Francis, symbolizing a meeting between the eastern Goddess Mazu and the Christian Virgin Mary, bridging thousands of miles.

Tsai Yong-de
Beigang Temple
The union of Eastern and Western Holy Mothers means that the Mazu of Chaotian Temple will soon take residence in the Vatican. Though presented as an artwork, it is hoped that love and peace can truly be realized through this gesture.

The diplomatic journey successfully established a bridge of friendship between Taiwan’s Mazu and the Virgin Mary, opening a door for Taiwan’s religious beliefs on the international stage.

Tsai Yong-de
Beigang Temple
It’s truly moving, as both the Pope and Mazu embody compassion and kindness. I can feel a warm sense of love and its power. Next time, I hope to bring important Taiwanese temples and groups along to step onto the international stage together.

With the assistance of the Taiwan Conference on Religion and Peace, the Beigang Chaotian Temple team journeyed to the Vatican to meet Pope Francis. They presented a gold Mazu statue weighing about 38g, valued at nearly NT$150,000, along with a jade Mazu artwork as part of the commemorative exchange.

The Virgin Mary of Catholicism and our Mazu from Beigang’s Chaotian Temple represent the exchange between different religious realms.

Member of public
The Western and Eastern traditions can unite, showing that religion is one family.

The Beigang Chaotian Temple has taken a historic step by traveling to the Vatican to showcase Mazu, in a uniquely Taiwanese display of religious diplomacy.

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台灣媽祖.西方聖母千里相會北港朝天宮赴梵蒂岡交流

2024-09-26

雲林北港朝天宮，今年適逢建廟330周年，展開一連串媽祖外交之旅，董事長蔡咏鍀一行人，9月19日出發，前往梵蒂岡，拜會天主教教宗方濟各，並贈送黃金媽祖與白玉媽祖藝術品，成功為東、西方聖母，留下歷史性一刻。

北港朝天宮董事長蔡咏鍀，手上捧著金媽祖神像藝術品，親自送給天主教教宗方濟各，象徵東西方聖母，千里來相會。

[[北港朝天宮董事長蔡咏鍀]]
“東方聖母與西方聖母的結合，朝天宮媽祖即將進駐梵蒂岡，雖然是藝術品，希望愛與和平，可以真正落實。”

這一趟媽祖外交之旅，台灣媽祖成功與西方聖母，搭起友誼橋梁，也為台灣宗教信仰，打開一扇門。

[[北港朝天宮董事長蔡咏鍀]]
“真的很感動，因為教宗跟媽祖一樣是慈悲，是善良的，我可以感受到溫馨的感覺，那種愛的力量。下次有機會，我希望帶著台灣重要的，不管是宮廟還是團體，可以一起走向國際。”

在中華民國宗教與和平協進會協助下，北港朝天宮團隊，遠渡重洋，來到羅馬梵蒂岡，拜會教宗方濟各，送上一尊一兩重的金媽祖，市值近15萬，還有一尊白玉媽祖藝品，作為交流紀念。

[[北港朝天宮總幹事何宗霖]]
“天主教聖母瑪利亞、我們北港朝天宮媽祖，不同宗教領域的交流。”

[[民眾]]
“西方的，跟我們東方的，能夠結合，其實宗教一家親。”

北港朝天宮跨出歷史性一步，遠赴梵蒂岡交流，傳遞媽祖信仰，宗教外交和諧共榮。

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