Pope Offers Prayers for Taiwan and Asia After Deadly Typhoon Ragasa

Hadisur Rahman, JadeTimes Staff

H. Rahman is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Asia

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Image Source: Focus Taiwan

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday offered prayers for the victims of Typhoon Ragasa, which battered Taiwan and several parts of Asia last week, leaving heavy casualties and widespread damage.

Speaking during the Jubilee of Catechists Mass at St. Peter’s Square, the Pope addressed thousands of faithful, noting that a “very powerful typhoon” had struck the Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China’s Guangdong region, and Vietnam.

“I assure the affected populations, especially the poorest, of my closeness and my prayers for the victims, the missing, the many displaced families, the countless people who have suffered hardship, as well as the rescue workers and civil authorities,” Pope Leo XIV said, according to the Vatican Times.

Typhoon Ragasa, the strongest tropical cyclone recorded globally this year, unleashed torrential rain and destructive winds across northern Taiwan. As of Sunday, 17 people were confirmed dead and seven remained missing. Guangfu Township in Hualien County suffered the heaviest toll, after floodwaters from the Matai’an Creek Barrier Lake surged into residential areas, sweeping away homes and scattering debris.

Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung, speaking on behalf of President Lai Ching-te, conveyed Taiwan’s gratitude for the Pope’s compassion. Lin added that Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) would continue cooperating with the Vatican to promote humanitarian relief efforts.

This is not the first time the Pope has extended support to Taiwan in the wake of natural disasters. In July, he offered both prayers and aid following Typhoon Danas. The Holy See remains Taiwan’s only diplomatic ally in Europe, maintaining formal ties since 1942.

Beyond Taiwan, Typhoon Ragasa also devastated parts of the Philippines’ Luzon island, while Hong Kong, Macau, South China, and Vietnam experienced significant disruption from the storm’s powerful winds and flooding.