He is the first to be appointed from the Taiwan area. Thus, 20 years after the death of Cardinal Yu Pin (who lived in Taiwan but was appointed from a mainland China diocese), the Taiwan church has finally been granted its own cardinal. This is of great significance.
單國璽是全球第五位晉升樞機主教的華人，教宗首次在台灣教區任命的樞機主教，也是於斌樞機主教逝世二十年以來，教宗終於同意在台灣設樞機主教，意義十分重大。