TiaBelau

Taiwan Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung visits Palau for diplomatic engagements

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By Kambes Kesolei

Taiwan Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung is currently in Palau for an official visit, according to a diplomatic note from the Taiwan Embassy.

Foreign Minister Lin is leading a nine-member delegation that arrived yesterday at 4:00 p.m. and will be leaving today at 5:00 p.m.

During his visit, Mr. Lin will meet with Vice President Uduch Sengebau Senior, OEK leaders, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Gustav Aitaro. He will not be meeting with President Surangel Whipps Jr., as the Palau president is attending the 29th International Seabed Authority (ISA) Assembly meeting in Kingston, Jamaica.

The Foreign Minister and his delegation visited the “One Stop Shop” Building and had a courtesy call with Vice President and Minister of Justice Uduch Sengebau Senior. They will also meet with leaders of the Palau National Congress at Ngerulmud and tour the Capitol Building. After Ngerulmud, they will visit the Taiwan Technical Mission in Aimeliik, specifically the “Horticultural Farm.”

An appreciation banquet hosted by Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung will take place in the afternoon. They will also visit the Palau National Aquaculture Center in Malakal.

Before departing, they will visit the Bai Rekeai in Aimeliik.

Catholic leaders to descend on Palau

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No mass for Catholics from Thursday to Sunday morning

The bishop and all the priests and deacons of the Catholic Diocese of the Caroline Islands including Palau and the FSM states will descend to Palau this week to do a retreat at the Carp Resort Island of Ngercheu, according to church announcement during mass last Sunday. 

Fifteen priests and three newly ordained deacons including Palau’s own Sngebard Melairei will be arriving on Tuesday, July 30 with Bishop Julio Angkel, the head of the diocese residing in Tunnuk, Mwen, Chuuk. The church delegation will be joined by the Palau priest to conduct group mass and have breakfast at Osiaol in the morning of Wednesday of July 31 and then depart to Carp Island to begin their retreat until Sunday, August 4, when they return to Koror. There will be no mass from Thursday until Sunday morning. 

Retreat is a time to withdraw from regular activities for prayer, meditation, and study mostly in silence in a group and contemplate deeply one’s relationship with Jesus Christ and the meaning of one’s life.   

Upon their return to Koror on Sunday, the priests will conduct masses at 5 pm at the three churches in Koror and at several other churches on Babeldaob. They then return to Koror where a farewell dinner will be held for them at Osiaol before most depart that evening. 

As to Sngebard coming home, according to information from the church, he was ordained as deacon in Chuuk last month with other deacons and they will be assigned by the bishop to any church in the diocese for nearly a year after which they return to their island to be ordained as a priest. Sngebard Melairei is expected to be ordained in Palau as a priest at the end of the year.