Elderly Hong Kong cardinal holds mass after court appearance

Retired Catholic Cardinal Joseph Zen, who is ninety years old, celebrated a crowded mass devoted to Chinese churches, just hours after appearing in a Hong Kong court on charges related to the city’s pro-democracy riots.

Zen, one of Asia’s highest-ranking Catholic clerics, was one of five prominent democracy campaigners imprisoned earlier this month under the city’s national security statute, along with activist and singer Denise Ho and experienced human rights lawyer Margaret Ng.

The group served as trustees of a now-defunct fund that assisted those imprisoned during massive and often violent democratic protests three years ago with legal and medical expenses.

They were arrested for “conspiracy to collude with foreign forces” but have not yet been charged with that offence, which can carry a life sentence under the sweeping security law imposed by Beijing in 2020.

Instead, all five of the fund’s former trustees and its secretary were charged Tuesday with failing to register it as a “society” with the police — a non-national security offense that can incur a fine of up to HK$10,000 (US$1,274) for a first conviction. All pleaded not guilty.

By the evening, Zen was preaching to hundreds of fellow Catholics who had queued to watch him hold mass at the Holy Cross Church on the east of Hong Kong Island.

Many who came to see him were dismissive of the charge against him.

“We of course must respect the rule of law but wielding law as a weapon to oppress is by no means the goal of rule of law,” Louise, an educator, told AFP.

Zen dedicated the mass to churches in China, where millions cannot freely practice their belief under the officially atheist Communist Party, which exercises strict control over all recognized religious institutions.

In his sermon, Zen again criticised a deal between China and the Vatican that allows Beijing to nominate bishops for the pope’s approval, calling it “unwise” despite being made with “good intention”.

“There is an urge to unify those above the ground and those underground but it seems that time is not ripe yet,” he said, an apparent reference to underground clergy in China who refuse to comply with state demands.

He also dedicated prayers to churches in Myanmar led by Cardinal Bo, his most outspoken supporter in Asia, as well as “brothers and sisters who cannot join tonight because they are not free”.

Zen and the other activists’ trial over the fund registration will begin on September 19.

Diplomats from multiple European countries including Germany, France, Sweden and Italy attended the hearing on Tuesday.

Zen’s arrest in particular has triggered outrage from Western nations, who have accused China of eviscerating the freedoms it once promised Hong Kong.

But on Monday, the city’s security minister told local media the criticism was a “classic smearing campaign”.

“To my understanding, the Vatican is a place to pursue justice and peace. If we did not act in accordance with the law because of one’s role in the Holy See, then I think it would actually breach the Vatican’s principle of justice,” said Chris Tang in an interview with the South China Morning Post.

In a separate case on Tuesday, another high-profile democracy campaigner, Benny Tai, was jailed for 10 months over a 2016 media campaign around the city’s legislative elections.

Tai, a legal scholar, had earlier pleaded guilty to breaching Hong Kong laws limiting who can place election advertisements.

Despite not being a candidate himself, Tai had promoted a way of coordinating voters to win the most seats for the city’s democrats, District Judge Anthony Kwok said.

“(Tai’s) actions could have damaged the election’s fairness and disadvantaged pro-establishment and other candidates,” Kwok said.

The judge said a deterrent sentence was needed given the seriousness of Tai’s acts, though he conceded the academic did not act for personal gain and had not promoted specific candidates.

Tai is already in detention, as one of a group of 47 Democrats detained under the national security law for subversion.

Amnesty International, a human rights organization, condemned Tuesday’s punishment, calling it “another politically motivated attack based on his pro-democracy advocacy.”

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