“It was one of Asia’s freest and most open cities. They have turned it into a police state,” said Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, president of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences.
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Newsroom (05/18/2022 12:05, Gaudium Press) Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, archbishop of Yangon in Myanmar and president of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences, expressed his concern over the recent arrest of Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze- kiun in Hong Kong for an alleged attack on national security. The cardinal also commented on the reality of the island, which has been a special administrative zone of China since 1997.
Cardinal Bo referred to the disregard of human rights, particularly religious freedom, by the Hong Kong authorities at the request of the central government. He also mentioned the city’s restriction of freedoms of speech, press, assembly, association and academia, and sounded the alarm against the first signs of aggression against religious freedom:
“I am aware of the recent propagandistic attacks against the Church in Hong Kong’s pro-Beijig media, and the increasing self-censorship of religious leaders due to the circumstances,” he pointed out.
A city moving forward along a dark and repressive path
“It breaks the heart,” says the Cardinal, “to see how a city that was a beacon of freedom moves quickly and radically down a dark and repressive path,” in clear violation of the international commitments of Hong Kong’s autonomy status.
On the specific charge against Cardinal Zen and his companions of undermining national security by participating in a foundation that helped pro-democracy protesters with legal expenses, Cardinal Bo stated that, “in a rule of law, providing assistance to people facing legal proceedings, covering their legal expenses, is a just and accepted right. How can it be a crime to help the accused to have defense and legal representation?
Cardinal Bo invited the faithful to pray for Hong Kong and China on May 24, the feast of Mary Help of Christians and “Our Mother of Sheshan,” a date that coincides with the World Day of Prayer for the Church in China. On Cardinal Bo’s initiative, Catholics around the world celebrated a year ago a “global” week of prayer for the persecuted in China.
With Infocatólica information.
Compiled by Teresa Joseph
