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Taiwan on edge after Pope Francis’s death, closely watching Vatican-China relations
KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan – Some in Taiwan are watching with growing unease as the Catholic Church prepares to elect a new leader following the death of Pope Francis. The Holy See is the only European state that maintains diplomatic relations with Taipei, but some fear the growing ties between the Vatican and Beijing could change things.
Taiwan is home to fewer than 300,000 Catholics. By contrast, estimates put the number of Catholics in communist China at anywhere between eight and 12 million, with another 390,000 in Chinese-ruled Hong Kong. Despite these figures, the Holy See continues to recognize Taiwan as the sole «China.»
After Pope Francis’ death, Taiwan’s President William Lai quickly said he planned to attend the funeral. A short time later, however, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that former Vice President and devout Catholic Chen Chien-jen will be Taiwan’s envoy.
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This picture taken on August 10, 2018, shows worshippers lining up to receive holy communion during a Catholic mass in the Holy Spirit Church in Yanshui, about an hour’s drive from the southern city of Tainan. With a cross rising from a red pagoda roof and two lion statues guarding the entrance, a Catholic church in southern Taiwan could easily be mistaken for one of the ubiquitous temples dotting the island. There are more than 1,000 churches across the island, but the Holy Spirit Church is particularly unique. (SAM YEH/AFP via Getty Images)
According to Taipei-based lawyer and political risk analyst Ross Feingold, Taiwan will be disappointed that President Lai will miss this gathering of world leaders. «The precedent exists for Taiwan’s president to attend a pope’s funeral. In 2005, then-President Chen Shui-bian attended John Paul II’s funeral, so,» he claimed, «it’s safe to assume President Lai’s team inquired whether Lai could attend Francis’ funeral, and equally safe to assume the Holy See’s response was a negative one.»
After Pope Francis took office in 2013, the Vatican began to build ties with Beijing. In 2018, it signed a controversial agreement with China on the appointment of bishops. The deal—renewed and extended several times—gives both sides input on bishop selection, an attempt to bridge the divide between China’s state-run Catholic Church and an underground church loyal to Rome. Vatican officials insist the agreement is pastoral, not political. Still, for Taiwan, it is seen as a warning sign.
This picture taken on August 10, 2018, shows a motorcyclist riding past the Holy Spirit Church in Yanshui, about an hour’s drive from the southern city of Tainan. (SAM YEH/AFP via Getty Images)
China, which cut ties with the Holy See in 1951, demands that all countries end diplomatic relations with Taiwan before establishing relations with Beijing. Taiwan’s official allies now number but 12, and the Holy See is its most symbolically significant diplomatic partner.
But Thomas Tu, a Vatican diplomacy expert at Taiwan’s National Chengchi University, told Fox News Digital that fears of an imminent switch are overblown. «This isn’t just about politics—it’s about the global Catholic mission,» Tu said. «The Vatican has survived empires. It’s patient.» Tu cited the Vatican’s relationship with Vietnam as evidence of pragmatic patience. China and Vietnam do not have formal ties, but the Vatican maintains a high-level religious representative there.
FIRST PHOTOS RELEASED OF POPE FRANCIS IN HIS CASKET; FUNERAL SET FOR SATURDAY
People attend a Christmas mass at the Xishiku Catholic Church in Beijing on December 24, 2023. (Pedro Pardo/AFP via Getty Image)
Pope Francis believed that engagement with China, however imperfect, is preferable to nothing. Francis was the first pope to fly through Chinese airspace and famously sent greetings to President Xi Jinping in 2014. On his visit to Mongolia in 2023, the pontiff also sent a «warm greeting to the noble Chinese people.»
Each overture to Beijing has drawn criticism from within the Church, particularly from outspoken China critics, such as 93-year-old retired Cardinal Joseph Zen of Hong Kong, who was arrested in 2022 after China imposed a National Security Law that criminalized almost every form of dissent in that supposedly autonomous special administrative region. Zen’s passport was recently returned to him by authorities so he could attend the pope’s funeral.
Zen and others view any warming of ties with Beijing as kowtowing to an officially atheist regime.
Pope Francis greets the people of China as he concludes Mass in the Hun Theatre on September 3, 2023, in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. (Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)
Since 1957, Beijing, via its Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, has kept a tight leash on millions of Chinese Catholics. Pope Francis accepted some compromises with China, but the Vatican wants autonomy in spiritual matters, which may require a miracle to accomplish under China’s one-party dictatorship.
Some observers suggest that Beijing may eventually allow more space for the Vatican, but any formal deal would require the Holy See to sever ties with Taiwan, a non-negotiable prerequisite for China.
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With a new pope being elected in the next month, some in Taiwan are worried about a shift, but few experts believe the next pontiff will make any hasty decisions. «There’s no rush,» said Dr. Chang Ching, a Senior Research Fellow of the ROC Society for Strategic Studies, «The Vatican knows how to wait, and China isn’t willing yet to grant the Chinese Catholic community the same privileges Catholics enjoy in most other nations. This seventy-plus-year rift is just a tiny moment in the long history of the Church and the even longer history of Chinese civilization.»
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President Donald Trump suggested on Tuesday that the Department of Justice (DOJ) owes him money for past prosecutions against him.
In the Oval Office, a reporter asked Trump if he was seeking compensation from the DOJ over past federal investigations into him and, if so, how much he was seeking.
«Well, I guess they probably owe me a lot of money for that,» Trump said in response. «No, I get no salary. I gave up my salary. It’s a good salary. Not as much as these guys make, but that’s OK. It’s a lot of money, and I don’t, as you know, I didn’t take it in the first four years. I didn’t take it these four years either.»
«But as far as all of the litigation, everything that’s been involved, yeah, they probably owe me a lot of money,» the president added. «But if I get money from our country, I’ll do something nice with it. Like, give it to charity or give it to the White House while we restore the White House, and we’re doing a great job with the White House, as you know, the ballroom is under construction.»
TRUMP ADMIN AGENCIES COORDINATING TO EXPOSE BIDEN ADMIN’S ‘PROLIFIC AND DANGEROUS’ WEAPONIZATION OF GOVERNMENT
President Donald Trump gestures as he hosts a Rose Garden Club lunch at the White House in Washington, D.C., Oct. 21, 2025. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)
The New York Times reported sources as saying Trump is seeking approximately $230 million in compensation from the Justice Department for investigations into him.
Trump told reporters Tuesday that he was «not looking for money,» but that they «would have to ask the lawyers about that.»
«We’ll see what happens,» Trump said. «We have numerous cases having to do with the fraud of the election, the 2020 election, and because of everything that we found out, I guess they owe me a lot of money. But I’m not looking for money. I’m looking for — really, I think it’s got to be, it’s got to be handled in a proper way… We don’t want it to happen again. We can never let what happened in the 2020 election happen again. We just can’t let that happen.»
He was later pressed again about the exact dollar amount in the request and said, «I don’t know what the number is. I don’t even talk to them about it.»
Trump then remarked that the decision would have to come across his desk, saying that it would be «awfully strange to make a decision where I’m paying myself.»
Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks as President Donald Trump looks on during a press conference in the Oval Office of the White House on Oct. 15, 2025. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
However, the Times noted that the DOJ’s rules state that settlement claims against the department that exceed $4 million «must be approved by the Deputy Attorney General, or Associate Attorney General, as appropriate.»
It is unclear where the claims or negotiations with the DOJ stand. However, The Associated Press noted that the ties between Trump and those authorized to make a decision on the settlement could present problems.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche served as one of Trump’s attorneys in the Mar-a-Lago case. Additionally, Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward represented Trump’s co-defendant, Walt Nauta, in the Mar-a-Lago case.
«In any circumstance, all officials at the Department of Justice follow the guidance of career ethics officials,» DOJ spokesperson Chad Gilmartin said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
TRUMP CELEBRATES WHITE HOUSE DEMOLITION AS NEW BALLROOM RISES: ‘MUSIC TO MY EARS’
The investigations include the FBI’s 2022 raid of Mar-a-Lago as part of the classified documents case and another probe looking into possible ties between Russia and Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. According to the Times, the first claim was filed in late 2023 and was in relation to the Russia probe, while the second — which focused on the Mar-a-Lago raid — was filed in the summer of 2024.
The Times reported Tuesday that Trump had submitted complaints through an administrative claim process, noting that it is something that often precedes lawsuits.
President Donald Trump during a bilateral meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office of the White House on Monday, April 7, 2025. (Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Despite the president saying that he would donate the funds, some Democrats painted the report as an example of Trump trying to enrich himself.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said on Wednesday morning that the president was looking «to line his own pockets, or he says now to give to a charity of his choice.» The senator added to the accusation, saying Trump was «focusing on getting $230 million that he doesn’t deserve back into his pocket instead of helping the American people get healthcare.»
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Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., who was in the middle of an hours-long speech, slammed Trump for «suing the government, then instructing his Department of Justice to settle the suit, thereby translating money into the president’s pocket out of the government.»
Merkley then remarked that «there is no limit to the self-serving» and called for his colleagues, particularly Republicans, to speak out against the president.
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Cuáles son las joyas que fueron robadas en el Louvre y qué puede pasar con ellas, según expertos
Fueron ocho minutos de un robo tan audaz como descarado: el reloj marcaba las 09:30 del domingo cuando, bajo las ventanas del museo del Louvre, cuatro ladrones instalaron un montacargas. A las 09:38, se marchaban de allí con las joyas “de la Corona”, un tesoro histórico “inestimable”, tras romper las vidrieras que las protegían con una amoladora.
Cuáles son las joyas de la Corona que se llevaron del Louvre
Ahora más de sesenta investigadores buscan a los autores de este robo que, con los rostros cubiertos, robaron nueve piezas del siglo XIX, entre ellas la corona de la emperatriz Eugenia, esposa de Napoleón III, que luego abandonaron durante su huida.
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La joya, que lleva ocho águilas de oro, 1354 diamantes, 1136 diamantes de talla rosa y 56 esmeraldas resultó “dañada”, según informó la fiscal de París, Laure Beccuau. La corona de la emperatriz Eugenia, que fue abandonada por los ladrones. (Foto: AFP/Stéphane de Sakutin).
Las otras piezas que fueron robadas atravesaron dos siglos de historia y fueron propiedad de importantes soberanas y emperatrices de Francia.
La tiara de perlas de Eugenia fue realizada por el famoso joyero Alexandre-Gabriel Lemonnier poco después de la boda de la emperatriz de origen español con Napoleón III, en 1853, al igual que su corona. Lleva 2000 diamantes y más de 200 perlas. La tiara de la emperatriz Eugenia. (Foto: RMN-GP/S. Maréchalle)
“Esta diadema es la que llevaba casi todos los días en la corte y la que aparece en sus retratos oficiales. Le tenía mucho cariño”, explicó a la agencia de noticias AFP Pierre Branda, historiador y director científico de la Fundación Napoleón.
El broche de la emperatriz Eugenia que fue robado en el Louvre. (Foto: gentileza RMN-GP/S. Maréchalle).
También fueron robados un lazo decorativo de corset y un broche de la emperatriz conocido como “relicario”, que se compone de 94 diamantes, entre los que destaca una roseta de siete diamantes alrededor de un solitario central, con dos diamantes en forma de corazón legados por el cardenal Mazarin a Luis XIV. El Gran Lazo del Corsete de la Emperatriz Eugenia. (Foto: gentileza RMN-GP/S. Maréchalle).
Además, los delincuentes se llevaron un collar y pendientes de zafiros usados por la reina María Amelia (esposa de Luis Felipe I, rey de Francia de 1830 a 1848) y por la reina Hortensia (madre de Napoleón III). El collar y los pendientes del ajuar de zafiros de la reina María Amelia y la reina Hortensia (Foto: gentileza RMN-GP/S. Maréchalle).
Según Vincent Meylan, historiador especializado en joyería, la reina Hortensia heredó este conjunto de su madre, la emperatriz Josefina, primera esposa de Napoleón I. Algunos especialistas afirman también que podría proceder de la reina María Antonieta.
Leé también: Encontraron una de las joyas que robaron en el Louvre: el museo sigue cerrado y buscan a los sospechosos
“Realmente forma parte de la historia de Francia”, insiste Meylan.
Además, se llevaron un collar y pendientes de esmeraldas que fueron un regalo de boda de Napoleón I a su segunda esposa, la emperatriz María Luisa, realizados por su joyero oficial, François-Régnault Nitot.
El collar y los pendientes de esmeraldas de la reina Marie-Louise. (Foto: AFP/Stéphane de Sakutin).
Además de sus prestigiosos dueños, estas joyas tenían todo el derecho a estar en el museo, ya que son “obras artísticas excepcionales”, opinó Didier Rykner, director de la redacción de la página web La Tribune de l’Art.
Realizadas por los grandes joyeros de la época, como Nitot, Lemonnier o Paul-Alfred Bapst, estas joyas combinan diamantes, perlas y piedras preciosas para crear composiciones espectaculares. El collar de zafiros está compuesto por ocho piedras preciosas de color azul noche y 631 diamantes, y el collar de esmeraldas tiene 32 esmeraldas y 1138 diamantes, según indica el Louvre en su página web.
A pesar de su antigüedad, la mayoría de estas joyas llegaron al Louvre en las últimas décadas.
Collar de esmeraldas de la reina Marie-Louise (Foto: gentileza RMN-GP/J.-G. Berizzi).
De las ocho piezas robadas, siete se adquirieron desde 1985, incluidas dos que se vendieron en la subasta de las joyas de la corona de 1887.
El conjunto de esmeraldas se adquirió en 2004 gracias al fondo del Patrimonio y a la Sociedad de Amigos del Louvre.
El collar de zafiros de María Amelia se adquirió en 1985, y la diadema de la emperatriz Eugenia y su gran broche pasaron a ser propiedad del museo en 1992 y 2008.
Un tesoro “invendible” en su estado
Son joyas de un “valor patrimonial inestimable”, según el Ministerio de Cultura. “Son inestimables desde el punto de vista patrimonial. Sin embargo, su precio es perfectamente estimable”, advierte Rykner.
“El término adecuado es invendible”, precisó Meylan. De hecho, revender estas joyas catalogadas y perfectamente identificadas en su estado actual es imposible, precisó. Dos jóvenes se toman una selfie frente a la ventana por la que ingresaron los ladrones al Louvre. (Foto: REUTERS/Benoit Tessier).
En este contexto, los expertos alertan sobre el riesgo de despiece de estas obras históricas, cuyas piedras y perlas podrían ser desmontadas y reutilizadas para fabricar otras joyas.
“Si no se recuperan estas joyas muy pronto, desaparecerán, seguro”, insistió Meylan.
“La policía sabe que en las próximas 24 o 48 horas, si no atrapan a estos ladrones, esas piezas probablemente desaparecerán”, declaró a la BBC Chris Marinello, director ejecutivo de Art Recovery Internationalmedio. “Puede que atrapen a los delincuentes, pero no recuperarán las joyas”. El Louvre permanece cerrado tras el robo. (Foto: REUTERS/Benoit Tessier).
Marinello dijo que los ladrones probablemente romperán las piezas, fundirán cualquier metal valioso y tallarán de nuevo las piedras preciosas, ocultando así la evidencia del crimen. Señaló además que sería difícil vender las joyas si se conservan intactas
“Ahí es donde el tesoro se vuelve inestimable. Corremos el riesgo de perder fragmentos de la historia de Francia”, coincidió Pierre Branda.
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