2016-04-25 16:11:00

Hong Kong Cardinal urges China to end religious persecution


Leading a prayer service in front of China's Hong Kong liaison office, Hong Kong’s retired bishop,  Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun called on Beijing on Sunday to end the persecution of Christians and allow religious freedom.  “Facing all this persecution, we cannot take it for granted. We cannot stand idly. If we keep silent, we are accomplices," Cardinal Zen told a group of about 100 people who attended the April 24 service. 

The same day Hong Kong's diocesan Justice and Peace Commission (JPC) announced the conclusion of a petition campaign to ask Pope Francis to pray for religious freedom and an end to religious persecution in China.  The campaign garnered 800 signatures from across the diocese. The petition is asking the pope to urge the Chinese government to stop removing crosses from churches and to pray for two missing bishops.  Or Yan-yan, project officer at JPC spoke to UCANEWS saying they hope the Pope can include the cross-removal campaign and two missing bishops in his prayers on the May 24 World Day of Prayer for the Church in China, established by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007.  

Zhejiang province authorities have been carrying out a large-scale cross-removal campaign, with at least 1,700 crosses being demolished since late 2013.  Catholics are also very concerned about the fate of Bishop James Su Zhimin, 84, of Baoding, and Bishop Cosmas Shi Enxiang, 95, of Yixian, who the petition says “have been imprisoned for over half of their lives.”  “They have been forcibly disappeared for 18 and 15 years."  (Source: UCAN)








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