CHIAYI, Taiwan (UCAN) -- The newly appointed archbishop of Taipei says his two highest priorities are to take good care of his priests and to evangelize, which will include service to socially marginalized people.

Pope Benedict XVI on Nov. 9 appointed Divine Word Bishop John Hung Shan-chuan of Chiayi as archbishop of Taipei. He succeeds Archbishop Joseph Cheng Tsai-fa, 75, whose resignation the pope accepted on the same day. Canon law requires active bishops to submit a resignation request upon reaching 75.

Archbishop-designate Hung, who turns 64 on Nov. 21, told UCA News on Nov. 12, "I don't have much ability to run the Church alone, and have to rely on my priests and laypeople." His installation Mass is scheduled for Nov. 25 at Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Taipei.

He said he accepted his appointment without hesitation out of obedience to the pope. Even though he has been a bishop for less than two years, he noted, he is one of the oldest members of the Chinese Regional Bishops' Conference in Taiwan. Most other bishops are in their 40s and 50s.

The archbishop-designate said his first task is to take care of his priests, including retired clergy. He added he will visit retired bishops to ask for advice on managing the archdiocese. Besides Archbishop Cheng, two other retired heads of Taipei archdiocese -- Archbishops Joseph Ti-kang, 79, and Matthew Kia Yen-wen, 82 -- are residing in the archdiocese.

Evangelization is his second task, Archbishop-designate Hung said. The local Catholic Church will strengthen its work for socially marginalized people and "try to do whatever the government did not do," he added.

He also promised to continue efforts to promote Christian unity and dialogue with people with folk religions, something he said he has been doing in Chiayi diocese since he was ordained bishop of that diocese on Feb. 28, 2006.

Liao Wen-tung, chairperson of Chiayi diocese's Council of Lay Apostolate, told UCA News on Nov. 12 that Archbishop-designate Hung is "a modern pastor," who has brought change to their "conservative and inward-looking" diocese. Under the prelate's leadership, the local Catholic Church has reached out and fostered good relations with the rest of society by organizing various activities, Liao noted.

For example, during Christian Unity Week in January, Archbishop-designate Hung initiated the first-ever ecumenical prayer gathering in Chiayi, inviting pastors and members of various Christian denominations.

More recently, for an Oct. 27 talk given by Cardinal Paul Shan Kuo-hsi, retired bishop of Kaohsiung, Chiayi diocese invited people of other religions, including civic leaders and school principals, who made up two-thirds of the audience, Liao noted.

Archbishop-designate Hung thanked Archbishop Cheng for his big contribution to Taipei archdiocese. The retiring prelate, who suffers from high blood pressure, fell sick from overwork, his successor said. Archbishop Cheng concurrently served as administrator of neighboring Hsinchu diocese from May 2005 to April 2006, while that diocese was vacant. He is also president of the episcopal conference in Taiwan.

Archbishop-designate Hung said Taiwan bishops will elect a new president during their biannual assembly, scheduled for late November.

Born on Penghu Island, off the western coast of Taiwan, the archbishop-designate was ordained a priest in 1973 for the Society of the Divine Word. After obtaining a doctorate in education in the United States, he devoted himself to Catholic education in Taiwan. He served at Fu Jen Catholic University outside Taipei 1986-1992 and then as principal of Fu Jen High School in Chiayi.

Mainland-born Archbishop Cheng was ordained a priest in 1957. He served in Tainan diocese, southern Taiwan, as a parish priest, school principal and minor seminary rector before being ordained its bishop in 1991. In 2004, he became archbishop of Taipei.

According to 2007 Catholic Church Directory of Taiwan, Taipei archdiocese has 85,000 Catholics, served by 63 diocesan and 197 Religious priests. It has one auxiliary, Bishop Thomas Chung An-zu, who was ordained bishop on Dec. 30, 2006.

Taiwan has about 300,000 Catholics in one archdiocese and six dioceses. The island now has nine retired bishops. The eight bishops in office are all Taiwan-born.

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(Accompanying photos available at here)