Top Stories 23/07/09 New HK cardinal shows Church's 'concern for China'

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New HK cardinal shows Church's 'concern for China' 

The honor for the Hong Kong bishop comes at a time when Vatican-China relations face a testing time

Pope Francis is seen with Bishop Stephen Chow Sau Yan of Hong Kong at the Vatican on March 17, 2022. (Photo supplied via Sunday Examiner)

By UCA News reporters

Published: July 10, 2023 10:25 AM GMT

Some Hong Kong Catholics say Pope Francis naming their Bishop Stephen Chow among 21 new cardinals shows the pope's "high concern" for the Church in Hong Kong and China.

The pope made the announcement following his Sunday Angelus address on July 9 at the Vatican.

Bishop Chow, 64, and Malaysian Bishop Sebastian Francis, 71, of Penang diocese were the only two Asian bishops named for the Sept. 30 consistory, when the pope will formalize their appointments.

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Cecilia, a catechist working in a Hong Kong parish, said she was "very surprised" to hear about Chow's elevation as he has only been a bishop for less than two years.

The elevation shows the Vatican's “high concern” for the local Church and the Church in China, she told UCA News echoing a popular sentiment among Hong Kong Catholics.

Local Catholics and Church officials are reluctant to be quoted in overseas media, for fear of the Beijing-introduced national security law indicting them of collaborating with "foreign powers" against their nation.

“As Bishop Chow has expressed his wishes to be a bridge between the China Church and the Vatican, and the China Church with the Universal Church, we hope being a Cardinal will empower him with the capacity to realize this mission and even beyond,” said the woman in her 60s, who would identify only as Cecilia.

“We will continue to keep him and the Church in China in prayers,” she added.

Chow said he was in “disbelief” at learning he will become a cardinal, Hong Kong’s state broadcaster RTHK reported on July 10.

He spoke to reporters at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and said the elevation will give him a new mission."I continue to hope that there will be more reconciliation and more hopes for young people, especially those who have been in jail, so they have a future. That's very important," RTHK quoted him as saying.

The honor for Chow, a former provincial superior of the Jesuits in China (2018-2021), comes about two years after he became a bishop in 2021 in the politically troubled former British colony.

The seat of Hong Kong bishop had remained vacant for about two years after Beijing allegedly opposed Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing for the position due to his support for the pro-democracy movement that engulfed the city in 2019.

The movement was crushed by a heavy government crackdown, and it left the city polarized and also divided its 700,000-strong vibrant Catholic community. Hundreds have been arrested and jailed under the Beijing-imposed repressive national security law.

After his consecration as the bishop, Chow promised action to heal the wounds of Catholics and the wider society in Hong Kong.

On April 17-21, he visited the Beijing archdiocese, becoming the first Hong Kong bishop to do so since the 1997 British handover of the city to China.

Chow had said his visit would “underscore the mission of the Diocese of Hong Kong to be a bridge Church and promote exchanges and interactions between the two sides.”

During a recent interview with the Jesuit magazine La Civita Cattolica Chow said he was determined to continue his diocese’s role as a “Bridge Church” between China and the world as missioned by Pope John Paul II.

His elevation to the College of Cardinals comes at a time when the 2018 secretive Vatican-China agreement on the appointment of bishops faces a testing time.

The deal reportedly allows the Vatican and China to agree on a new bishop in China. Experts say the deal aims to unify millions of Catholics in China split between the state-run patriotic church and Vatican-aligned independent, underground church.

Some Catholics have criticized the deal as a “sell-out” and “betrayal” of underground Catholics who remained loyal to the pope despite state persecution.

Human rights groups and activists have accused the Chinese regime of intensifying a crackdown on Christians since the deal was signed.

The communist government has also come under criticism from the Vatican.

Last November, the Vatican in a statement accused the Chinese government of violating the agreement with the 'installation ceremony' of Bishop John Peng Weizhao of Yujiang as auxiliary bishop of Jiangxi, "a diocese not recognized by the Holy See." 

The Vatican once again publicly accused China of breaching the deal when pro-Beijing Bishop Shen Bin of Haimen Diocese was transferred and installed as the bishop of Shanghai on April 4.

Observers say Chow’s elevation adds to his expectations to better the Vatican-China relations.

Chow, born in Hong Kong, joined the Jesuits on Sept 27, 1984, and was ordained a priest in 1994. He holds a doctorate in human development and psychology from Harvard (2000-2006).

Chow has served as supervisor of two Jesuit colleges in Hong Kong since 2007. He also served as honorary assistant professor at the University of Hong Kong (2008-2015).