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World Chinese Catholic Biblical Congress in Taiwan
Tarsisius Sigho, SVD
Held from Jan. 25 to 30 during the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year, the congress was jointly organized by the Chinese Regional Bishops’ Conference of Taiwan and the United Chinese Catholic Biblical Association (UCCBA). Participants included clergy, religious, and lay faithful committed to biblical ministry and pastoral outreach.
The theme of the gathering, “Reading the Word of God, Encountering the Loving Heart of God, Sharing the Love of God,” highlighted the role of Scripture in personal conversion, parish renewal, and missionary discipleship.
Fr. Tarsisius Sigho, SVD, director of the Chinese Catholic Biblical Association in Taiwan, said in his welcoming remarks that the theme of the congress clearly pointed to the central place of Sacred Scripture in the life of the Church. He emphasized that reading the Word of God is not merely engaging with the written text, but listening in faith to what God is saying today.
He further noted that entering into the heart of God means allowing the Word to transform one’s thoughts, values, and choices, so that hearts may gradually become like the Heart of Christ. Proclaiming the love of God, he added, means living out a life nourished by the Word and actively sharing it with others. These three dimensions, he said, are inseparably connected and form the Church’s witness to the Gospel.
The congress opened on the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul with Jubilee prayers and reflections on the Gospel message that the Kingdom of God is already present among believers. It also marked two significant milestones: the 60th anniversary of Dei Verbum, the Second Vatican Council’s Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, and the 15th anniversary of the apostolic exhortation Verbum Domini.
Mgr. Stefano Mazzotti, Apostolic Nuncio to Taiwan, encouraged participants to deepen their devotion to Scripture, encounter Christ in the Word, strengthen the centrality of the Bible in parish life, and move outward in mission and witness.
Throughout the week, keynote addresses, workshops, and testimonies explored how Catholics can respond to modern challenges through the light of God’s Word. Speakers reflected on themes linked to the 2025 Jubilee, including hope amid war and suffering, the Eucharist as the source of hope, and proclaiming the Gospel in contemporary society.
Workshops also presented practical approaches to biblical apostolate, including Lectio Divina, small-group faith sharing, digital evangelization, and youth formation programs.
The congress identified several pastoral priorities, including strengthening cooperation among Chinese-speaking Catholic communities worldwide, increasing resource sharing among dioceses, developing digital platforms for Scripture formation, and encouraging regular Bible reading among the faithful.
Delegates also honored veteran leaders in Chinese biblical ministry and reflected on the legacy of the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum, known for its landmark Chinese Catholic Bible translation.
At the closing ceremony, Cecilia Chui, secretary of the UCCBA, announced that Fr. Tarsisius Sigho, SVD—biblical coordinator of the SVD China Province and director of the Chinese Catholic Biblical Association in Taiwan—had been appointed chairman of the UCCBA, tasked with coordinating biblical ministry among Chinese Catholic communities worldwide.
The next World Chinese Catholic Bible Congress is scheduled to take place in Sabah, Malaysia.
