COMMENTARY: Reconciliation must never sacrifice the timeless truths of the Church, but sadly that appears to be the case in China.
Cardinal Stephen Chow, the bishop of Hong Kong, defended the state of religious freedom in Hong Kong in a public dialogue in Parramatta, Australia, on Sept. 15. If what he said were true — such as that “Beijing wants to keep religious freedom intact in Hong Kong because Hong Kong is important for China” — I would not have had to watch his remarks under political asylum in the United States.
The city-state does not engage in persecution, Cardinal Chow said, boldly inviting critics to “come to Hong Kong and see for yourself.” I wish I could accept that invitation. But like many Hong Kongers and Chinese Christians who have fled our home, I cannot safely return. Hong Kong authorities have placed a million-dollar bounty on my head for my advocacy work in the U.S. on behalf of my fellow Hong Kongers for democracy and human rights.
For as long as I can remember, Hong Kong’s Catholic Church has been a conscience for the city — never perfect, but rarely silent. During the turbulent 2019 pro-democracy movement, I watched many young protesters seek out the Church for moral leadership and prophetic witness. The number of young churchgoers grew rapidly. The Church’s leadership assured us that God saw our pain and would bless those who “thirst for righteousness.” Sadly, some influential Catholics in Hong Kong today appear more concerned with appeasing Beijing than defending the faithful.
Or, even, with reflecting reality. In 2021, a Chinese government think tank published an analysis on religion in Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong. It accused the Church of “sugarcoating acts of colluding with foreign forces” and advised authorities to use education to “amplify national identity” among students in Hong Kong. The government, that is, openly identifies Catholics as a priority target for political control.
The results have been swift and systematic. The Hong Kong Diocese has conducted at least three seminars on the “Sinicization of religion” with China’s state-controlled Catholic Patriotic Association (CPA). All clergy, seminarians, and religious sisters have been ordered to visit Beijing for “exchanges” after Cardinal Chow visited Beijing in April 2023. Later that year, when the CPA chairman gave an interview to Hong Kong’s Catholic newspaper, he pointedly referred to “our Hong Kong diocese” five times as an assertion of political dominance.
More: https://www.ncregister.com/commentaries/hong-kong-catholics-deserve-leadership
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