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stumbler
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The Swiss priest reaching out for soles in Taiwan
TAIPEI (AFP) - From the late Pope John Paul II in the Vatican to AIDS patients in Zimbabwe, Taiwan-based Swiss priest Josef Eugster has worked small miracles on the feet of tens of thousands of people.
In so doing, the reflexologist inspired a prosperous foot massage industry in his adopted country, offering alternative therapy to locals and foreign tourists, but at times incurring the wrath of both the state and the Church.
Dubbed “Taiwan’s Father of Foot Massage”, Father Josef is credited by many practitioners for reinvigorating the ancient health-care method, somewhat serendipitously, in his small parish in eastern Taiwan. . . . .
Meanwhile, the Taiwanese Catholic Church was not too happy with him, either. “Some think foot reflexology is not a priest’s work because there are hospitals,” he says.
Such sentiment changed in 2003 when Father Josef was arranged by Taiwan’s ambassador to the Vatican, one of only 26 countries that recognize Taipei over Beijing diplomatically, to serve foot reflexology to Pope John Paul II.
“I told him foot reflexology is how I spread the gospel in Taiwan and explained how it worked. After that the opposition (from the Church) stopped,” says Father Josef. . . .
Full article
TAIPEI (AFP) - From the late Pope John Paul II in the Vatican to AIDS patients in Zimbabwe, Taiwan-based Swiss priest Josef Eugster has worked small miracles on the feet of tens of thousands of people.
In so doing, the reflexologist inspired a prosperous foot massage industry in his adopted country, offering alternative therapy to locals and foreign tourists, but at times incurring the wrath of both the state and the Church.
Dubbed “Taiwan’s Father of Foot Massage”, Father Josef is credited by many practitioners for reinvigorating the ancient health-care method, somewhat serendipitously, in his small parish in eastern Taiwan. . . . .
Meanwhile, the Taiwanese Catholic Church was not too happy with him, either. “Some think foot reflexology is not a priest’s work because there are hospitals,” he says.
Such sentiment changed in 2003 when Father Josef was arranged by Taiwan’s ambassador to the Vatican, one of only 26 countries that recognize Taipei over Beijing diplomatically, to serve foot reflexology to Pope John Paul II.
“I told him foot reflexology is how I spread the gospel in Taiwan and explained how it worked. After that the opposition (from the Church) stopped,” says Father Josef. . . .
Full article