Taiwan is using the pope's 71st birthday to reinforce one of its few remaining formal diplomatic ties in Europe, a small but deliberate signal of goodwill.

• President Lai Ching-te sent a birthday message praising the pope's push for world peace through dialogue.
• Taiwan's embassy to the Holy See passed the note to the Vatican's Secretariat of State.
• The message pledged continued cooperation with the Vatican on human rights and easing suffering.
• The Holy See is Taiwan's only diplomatic ally in Europe, making these gestures more than ceremony.
• Leo XIV, born in Chicago and holding both U.S. and Peruvian citizenship, took office in May 2025.

Outlook: Taipei will keep courting the Vatican closely, with Beijing pressing from the other side for the same relationship.