Cardinal in China a lonely voice for change
Jul 20, 2007
The fireworks bespoke celebration, but the cardinal was angry.
By Steve Gushee
Special to The Palm Beach Post
Friday, July 20, 2007
The fireworks bespoke celebration, but the cardinal was angry.
Hong Kong marked its 10th anniversary of the turnover from British control to that of the People's Republic of China on July 1 with joyous festivities. On the other hand, Joseph Cardinal Zen joined a protest march through the city demanding religious and political freedom.
The cardinal may be a nuisance to both Vatican and the Chinese governments since both organizations recognize the political benefit of going along to get along while Zen seems to be living out his faith demanding change.
His boss, Pope Benedict XVI, wrote a conciliatory letter to the Chinese government at the end of June. Cardinal Zen, in July, made local headlines in the protest march demanding democracy and religious freedom for the island community and, by extension, the Chinese mainland.
Reality is sometimes confusing in the East. The 75-year-old, humble leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Hong Kong wants to retire precisely so that he can go to work at the Vatican for religious freedom, social justice and democracy in China.
The Chinese apparently want him to stay in office where they can watch him and where he is so preoccupied with the minutia of running a church that he can't make his voice heard.
The confusion is confounding. There are two Roman Catholic churches in China. One, led by the pope, is an underground Catholic community of unknown millions that has no official status.
The other is the state-controlled Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association with about 10 million members that appoints bishops without the Pope's approval and roundly condemned Cardinal Zen for joining the protest.
The issue is, as usual, control of the church, but both sides seem willing to give a bit. Benedict authorized Catholics to attend Mass at state-controlled churches if they cannot reasonably find an illegal church. The Chinese government often tries to get the Pope to approve its choice of bishops in secret, but, as usual, there is more at stake.
The Vatican recognizes the government in Taiwan, not Beijing, but hinted it was ready to move its representative to the mainland as soon as an agreement was in place.
The two institutions wrestle to gain control, score diplomatic coups and restore formal relations severed by China in 1951.
In the meantime, Hong Kong's Cardinal Zen cries out for justice for the poor, democracy for the people and religious freedom for Catholics.
Cardinal in China a lonely voice for change