He accepted the invitation of the Archdiocese of Beijing. The latest precedent dates back to the trip of Msgr. John Tong in 2008 for the Olympic Games, but on that occasion he was not allowed to meet with the bishop of the capital, Li Shan, who is currently in charge of the Patriotic Association. In the delegation will also be Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha, who in 2019 was very close to the young people who participated in the protests in Hong Kong, quelled by the National Security Law and the arrests.
Milan () – Hong Kong Bishop Stephen Chow will travel to Beijing on April 17 for a five-day visit. The announcement was made yesterday with an official statement from the diocese explaining that Msgr. Chow has accepted an official invitation from the Bishop of Beijing Joseph Li Shan and that he will be accompanied by Auxiliary Bishop Msgr. Joseph Ha and the Vicar General of the diocese, the P. Pedro Choy.
The announcement of this trip is a very important event for the Church in China. As we recalled a few months ago in , it was Cardinal Wu who paved the way in the 1980s for these visits. But in recent years the political situation has made them much more complex. The last trip to Beijing by a Hong Kong bishop was in 2008, when then-coadjutor bishop Msgr. John Tong was invited to attend the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. On that occasion, however, to the prelate – who a few months later would succeed the cardinal. Zen at the head of the diocese of Hong Kong – was not allowed to meet Bishop Li Shan, appointed the year before with the consent of Benedict XVI. “I was at least able to greet him by phone – Msgr. Tong told at the time – although, for fear that the phone was tapped, our conversation was a bit generic. I told him that we support him and pray for his diocese.”
The profile of this trip will be quite different, also considering the fact that last summer Msgr. Li Shan was appointed president of the Patriotic Association of Chinese Catholics, the “official” body that has the approval of the Communist Party. On the occasion of this announcement, Msgr. Chow – taking up an image that is part of his episcopal coat of arms – reaffirmed the mission of the diocese of Hong Kong to be a bridge that promotes exchanges and interactions with mainland China. The note explains that in addition to the meeting with Msgr. Li Shan, Msgr. Chow and the delegation will also meet other bishops, clergy and local laity in Beijing. They will also visit the major seminary in Beijing, the national seminary of the Catholic Church in China and other relevant realities for the religious world.
Upon his arrival in Beijing on April 17, Bishop Chow will participate in the Vespers liturgy and celebrate a Thanksgiving Mass in the cathedral. His visit will also include a moment of prayer at the tomb of Fr. Matteo Ricci, the great 17th century Jesuit missionary declared venerable a few months ago. The official statement also speaks of “visits to organizations that promote cultural exchanges and meetings with Hong Kong friends who work in Beijing” and invites the faithful “to pray for the success of the visit.”
However, there is another detail of this visit that is also worth noting: the fact that Msgr. Chow will not travel alone, but will be accompanied by the Vicar General, Fr. Peter Choy and Auxiliary Bishop Msgr. Joseph Ha. It is appropriate to remember that during the protests that shook Hong Kong in 2019 and led to the harsh repression in Beijing, Msgr. Ha spoke on several occasions in favor of the young people who went out to the streets. It was he who delivered the last homily in 2020 during the Mass that was celebrated every year at the vigil for the victims of Tiananmen Square. All these initiatives were subsequently banned in Hong Kong under the National Security Law, under which all leaders of the pro-democracy movement are now in jail (and just yesterday Catholic trade unionist Elizabeth Tang was also arrested).
The presence of Bishop Ha with Bishop Chow in Beijing is a sign that, in its desire to be a bridge, the Church in Hong Kong does not, however, deny its history of recent years. As for the reason for accepting this invitation at such a difficult time for Hong Kong, the words of Msgr. Chow can probably be applied when he spoke about the narrowing spaces of freedom: “Accept the change of reality in which we meet does not mean to approve it. But learning to discern new possibilities with a creative mindset amid the stresses of the changing context is the way forward.”
