Hong Kong Cardinal Stephen Chow urges laypeople and clergy alike to view dialogue with the Chinese Government less as a political bargaining chip and more as a pastoral mission shared by all. Source: Melbourne Catholic.
During a visit to Australia last week, Cardinal Chow delivered lectures in Sydney and Melbourne on his role as a bridge-builder between the Vatican and the Chinese government, a task he said is not as daunting as one would expect.
“Firstly, empathy is two levels: the head and the heart. You cannot just have the head or just have the heart. Both have to inform each other,” Cardinal Chow said, emphasising that genuine understanding underpins any fruitful exchange.
“I’ve been saying this to people in China’s government … communists are human beings too, right? And they also have hearts that yearn for love, yearn for respect. They yearn for understanding.”
He cautioned against simplistic assumptions about Beijing’s understanding of the Church, insisting that the Chinese Government is “very well versed” in theology, canon law and the deeper threads of Catholic thought.
On the situation in Hong Kong, Cardinal Chow sought to dispel a perception of pervasive religious persecution.
“May I sincerely say that religious persecution per se is not happening in Hong Kong,” Cardinal Chow said.
“I also checked with other churches and religions in Hong Kong. None of them said they have experienced that now.”
He said Hong Kong remained a place where religious freedom continued to exist in practical terms.
“So I believe … Beijing wants to keep the religious freedom intact in Hong Kong, because Hong Kong is important for China. So, common law, religious freedom, all these are important too for people to believe. I can still come here [Australia]. We can still ordain a priest. Religious education in school is still possible.”
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Walking the tightrope between the Vatican and China, Cardinal Chow calls for understanding (Melbourne Catholic)
