Hong Kong’s Cardinal Joseph Zen is begging Pope Francis for a good bishop to be chosen to lead the Hong Kong Diocese.
Zen flew to Rome to deliver his letter so it could be delivered without delay to the pope.
His request came while Vatican diplomats are working against the clock to refresh the Vatican’s September 2018 deal with Beijing on the appointment of bishops.
Many people are picking one of Hong Kong’s vicars general, Father Peter Choi, may be named as the new prelate.
Choi is held to be “close” to Beijing.
If Choi were appointed, it would sideline Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing.
The Auxiliary Bishop is a critic of the Chinese and Hong Kong governments. He is also close to Zen.
“This year we are waiting in Hong Kong to have our bishop. It’s more than one and a half years that we have no bishop. And now the whole atmosphere is very much political, so I would like to remind the Holy Father that we really need a bishop who is a good shepherd for the flock,” Zen says.
“I remember that at the beginning of his [Francis’s] pontificate, he gave many recommendations: ‘A bishop should be like this and they should not be like that …’
“And so, I hope he remembers all those things … and not to pay too much importance to the political aspect of the problem.”
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