October 22 marks the Feast Day of Pope Saint John Paul II, commemorating the inauguration of his pontificate with the inaugural Mass held on October 22, 1978. On this occasion, Ambassador Anthony Chung-Yi Ho of the R.O.C. (Taiwan) Embassy to the Holy See, was invited to attend the opening ceremony of the 2026 academic year organized by the Pontifical John Paul II Institute. The event featured a research lecture by Professor Linda Hogan of Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, on Saint John Paul II’s vision of human rights and justice, paying tribute to his enduring legacy and ideals.
Coincidentally, on October 21, Professor Weronika Kudła led a delegation comprising five faculty members and eleven students from the Department of Communication Science at the Pontifical University of John Paul II in Kraków, Poland, on a courtesy visit to the Embassy to meet with Ambassador Ho. The program included welcoming remarks by Ambassador Ho, a presentation on Taiwan and the screening of videos introducing Taiwan and the results of Taiwan’s H.O.P.E. humanitarian assistance initiatives, a question-and-answer session, and refreshments. The visiting faculty members and students expressed their sincere appreciation for the Embassy’s warm hospitality.
In his remarks, Ambassador Ho emphasized that Taiwan and Poland are genuine partners that share fundamental values of freedom, democracy, and human rights. In addition to working together to assist Ukraine, both face threats and challenges posed by authoritarian regimes.
During the discussion, the faculty members and students engaged in a lively and cordial exchange of views on a range of topics, including cross-strait relations among the United States, China, and Taiwan; opportunities and challenges for Taiwan in the field of artificial intelligence; strategies to combat disinformation; and Taiwan’s religious freedom and interfaith cooperation, which serve as an exemplary model.
The Pontifical University of John Paul II in Kraków traces its origins to the Catholic theological faculty established in Kraków in 1397. In 1981, during the pontificate of John Paul II, it was elevated to the status of a Pontifical Academy of Theology. In 2009, it was further elevated to university status and renamed the Pontifical University of John Paul II. It is one of Poland’s oldest academic institutions.
