Cardinal Zen Proud of Unity With Rome
Jun 24, 2006
Takes Possession of Titular Church
ROME, JUNE 1, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun took possession of St. Mary Mother of the Redeemer Church in a gesture which he said united China with Rome.
Cardinal Zen Ze-kiun presided over a solemn Mass in the Tor Bella Monaca section of Rome on Wednesday to take over his titular church.
"It is a beautiful tradition; it gives me Roman citizenship," the 74-year-old prelate said. "I shall die a Roman though I am Chinese."
In his homily, Cardinal Zen stressed "the profound communion there is between himself, his people and the Church. The Pope has said nothing to me about what I should do, but he asks you to accept me: I'm the winner! I give myself to you and, with me, I give you my Chinese people."
Commenting briefly on the illicit ordination of bishops, he said: "Our people have the sense of faith; we remain faithful to Rome. There are only a few who have left us because they are confused."
Cardinal Zen, the bishop of Hong Kong, was elevated to cardinal by Benedict XVI on March 24.
He was born in Shanghai in 1931, was ordained a priest in Hong Kong in 1961, and was professor of the Catholic seminary of the English colony until 1973.
In 1978 he was appointed provincial superior of the Salesians for "external" China -- Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.
Good fortune
He left the post shortly after and from 1983 to 1996 was a professor in several seminaries of the official and underground Church in various areas of China. He was named coadjutor bishop of Hong Kong in 1996 and bishop of the same diocese in 2002.
Remembering the Catholics of his Diocese of Hong Kong, who number some 250,000 out of a total population of 7 million, he thanked God for the gift of faith.
"We have received this fortune, which is the faith; others do not have it, especially in China," the cardinal said. "And, as Mary, who did not want to enjoy this faith alone, so we too must share this fortune of our faith."
"I come to you as brothers and together we share the joy of being children of God," concluded Cardinal Zen.
Father Riccardo Viel, the pastor of the cardinal's Roman church, told him: "On your return, tell your faithful in Hong Kong that you have found other new and good parishioners."
Cardinal Zen Proud of Unity With Rome