National Catholic Register News
In an essay published on his blog Oct. 7, Cardinal Zen, the emeritus Bishop of Hong Kong, offered an extended and personal critique of an Oct. 3 speech given by Cardinal Parolin on the history and future of the Church’s missionary activity in China.
The outspoken Chinese cardinal tells the Register why he traveled to the Vatican last week in hopes of meeting the Pope, and discusses the grave problems the Church continues to face in Hong Kong and the rest of China.
Cardinal Zen warned against interpretations of Vatican II not “faithful to the documents of the Council, but rather a subjective understanding of it.”
Cardinal Tong Hon’s predecessor, Cardinal Joseph Zen has expressed serious concerns with the new security laws, and especially the manner in which they were imposed on Hong Kong by the mainland government.
Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, Bishop Emeritus of Hong Kong, has been an outspoken opponent of the 2018 agreement between the Vatican and the People’s Republic of China regarding episcopal appointments.
A report by the Congressional China Commission, issued in January, noted that human rights abuses intensified in China during the 2019 reporting year, and the persecution of Catholics worsened after the Vatican-China deal was reached.
The issue of extradition has been a contentious one in the region for a number of years, as Hong Kong has no formal extradition deal with Taiwan, Macao, and mainland China, potentially creating legal loopholes in some circumstances
“Shedding the blood of a few children for the unity and prosperity of the state was a small price to pay.”
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The 82-year-old Chinese cardinal was one of several leaders of Hong Kong’s Occupy Central movement to surrender to police on Dec. 3.
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