In a conversation with journalist Bree Dail, about preparations for the worldwide Synod of Bishops, Cardinal Hollerich said that he did not plan to speak to Cardinal Zen about the condition of the Church in China. “Of course I respect him,” he said, “but people [in China] say that every time Cardinal Zen speaks up, they get persecuted.”
Newsroom (14/09/2022 8:55 PM Gaudium Press) — Late last month, members of the leadership overseeing this “Synod on Synodality” held a press conference for the Holy See press corps, discussing results that had been submitted to the Vatican from countries such as Germany and France; the ongoing processes in Oceana; the closing of the initial “diocesan phase” of the worldwide initiative and the initiation of the second (or “Continental”) phase.
Aside from the general enthusiasm, Cardinal Mario Grech of Malta and Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, SJ, of Luxembourg, expressed concern about how the Church would ensure the integrity of responses from churches such as in China.
Cardinal Hollerich responded to how the leaders of the Church would know the integrity of the responses from the Chinese Church would be genuine and not manipulated. “I can just give you one example on how I’d imagine it. You know, I lived a long time in Japan and in Japan we have a church for the Chinese people (refugees). They mostly come out of the underground Church. They’re simple workers. I think they participated in the synodal process in the Church in Japan…as a voice for China. Knowing this community as I do, I completely trust their response is the response of most of the mainland Chinese Catholics.”
When asked if he would speak to someone like Cardinal Joseph Zen, the Archbishop Emeritus of Hong Kong—ethnically Chinese, whose work with both the underground and Patriotic churches in Mainland China is well respected, Hollerich replied, “No. I know that, also, when I visited China and spoke to many Chinese people that Cardinal Zen is also controversial in mainland China. Of course, I respect him—he’s a brother Cardinal—but people (in China) say that every time Cardinal Zen speaks up, (they) get persecuted.”
Hollerich continued, “I think these people, however—they are always very good at saying things they have to say through nuances…and we have to perceive that. I know that, when I met with Chinese bishops in Japan, so often they’d normally have a translator with them. So, sometimes the bishop would speak other languages, enough to communicate to us what they intended—even “credo in unam apostolicam ecclesiam” So, you have to look at the nuances, and I think that’s possible, here.”
When Cardinal Mario Grech was asked how the Church could guarantee the integrity of the responses from persecuted churches, such as China, he answered “Listen, this is a very important question, no? And it is a task for us, but at the same time we are at an early stage of the “synodal” Church. We have to learn how we can listen to all without any filtering. However, I can’t tell you whether the case to which you are referring has been filtered or not.” When asked if it would help for him to engage individuals such as Cardinal Joseph Zen, Grech replied, “Look, Cardinal Zen can, himself, submit his contribution—as long as he is representing himself. Listen, the process—we are still learning—it will continue. It will not end in October 2023.”
Meanwhile, as reports from wealthy Western European countries, such as Germany, already headlining suggestions for dramatic changes (such as homosexual marriages, ordination of women) in the Catholic Church, it is hard to tell whether or not those whose faith is tested daily, though suffering, persecution or poverty, will share an equal voice in the coming Synod of the Universal Catholic Church.
– Raju Hasmukh with files from Bree Dail
