Cardinal Joseph Zen trial began on Sept. 19, 2022, in Hong Kong for his role as a trustee of the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund. This organisation paid legal fees and medical bills for Hong Kongers protesting the Extradition Law Amendment Bill. This 2019 legislation would have allowed extradition to the People’s Republic of China. Many Read more
The Vatican is following China’s arrest of retired Catholic Cardinal Joseph Zen with “extreme attention”, says a statement from the Holy See Press. The statement refers to the Security Police’s arrest of the 90-year old in Hong Kong on Wednesday. Hours later, Zen was released on bail. He and three of four other trustees of Read more
Church leaders in Hong Kong are divided about fresh pro-democracy protests over a new national security measure that China is attempting to pass in the territory, and there is also a degree of disappointment over the Vatican’s silence on the issue. Speaking to Crux, Father Bernardo Cervellera, head of Asia News and an expert in Read more
The Catholic Church in Hong Kong is demanding an end to a police harrassment of pro-democracy activists. The Church says the political repression of those demanding democratic rights in the China-administered region is wrong. Hong Kong police arrested 15 pro-democracy activists last weekend, including former legislators because of their roles in Hong Kong’s mass protests Read more
Massey University is being accused of suppressing freedom of speech after staff ripped down posters promoting democracy in Hong Kong. Several posters supporting the democratic protests in Hong Kong were pasted on advertising columns at the Palmerston North campus on Thursday night by a group of students wanting to raise awareness for the turmoil unfolding Read more
The Apostolic Administrator of Hong Kong, Cardinal John Tong Hon, has urged increasingly-violent demonstrators to regain their inner peace and carry out protests peacefully. Cardinal Tong sent his appeal in an open letter to local citizens last Friday. The Cardinal said he was deeply pained by the worsening situation in the city. He acknowledges he Read more
Chinese state media is accusing Hong Kong Catholic schools of supporting pro-democracy protesters and training their students to join protest mobs. The media comments followed a video showing eight students taking part in air gun shooting practice while parading an American flag on the rooftop of Yu Chun Keung Memorial College, a diocesan school. Ta Read more
Opposing student sentiments at The University of Auckland (UoA) are causing ongoing protests between those supporting mainland China’s right to rule Hong Kong and those against it. The university has launched an investigation after Chinese students were filmed verbally threatening another group of students who were protesting against a proposed extradition bill in Hong Kong. Read more
Over 1,000 Catholics marched through central Hong Kong by candlelight last Thursday night to call for calm and a break from hostilities in the recent political crisis that has seen thousands of protesters clash with police. The vigil was organised by the Justice and Peace Commission of Hong Kong Diocese, Hong Kong Federation of Catholic Read more