- Feb 5, 2002
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As cardinals from around the world gather in Rome to elect the next successor of St. Peter, one familiar face will be there — not to cast a vote, but to bear witness.
Ninety-three-year-old Cardinal Joseph Zen of Hong Kong, though no longer an elector due to his age, has arrived in the Eternal City. His presence at this crucial moment in the life of the Church is not a formality. It is a reminder. A reminder of fidelity. A reminder of the persecuted Church. A reminder of the cost of discipleship.
For years now, Cardinal Zen has been one of the most prominent voices defending the Church in China, especially the underground Church that has remained loyal to the pope under intense pressure. In 2018, the Vatican reached a provisional agreement with the Chinese governmentregarding the appointment of bishops. While the full terms remain unpublished, the deal was intended to unify the government-controlled “patriotic” Church with those Catholics who had endured decades of surveillance and imprisonment for refusing to compromise their faith.
Rome called it a step toward healing. Cardinal Zen called it a betrayal.
Continued below.
www.oursundayvisitor.com
Ninety-three-year-old Cardinal Joseph Zen of Hong Kong, though no longer an elector due to his age, has arrived in the Eternal City. His presence at this crucial moment in the life of the Church is not a formality. It is a reminder. A reminder of fidelity. A reminder of the persecuted Church. A reminder of the cost of discipleship.
For years now, Cardinal Zen has been one of the most prominent voices defending the Church in China, especially the underground Church that has remained loyal to the pope under intense pressure. In 2018, the Vatican reached a provisional agreement with the Chinese governmentregarding the appointment of bishops. While the full terms remain unpublished, the deal was intended to unify the government-controlled “patriotic” Church with those Catholics who had endured decades of surveillance and imprisonment for refusing to compromise their faith.
Rome called it a step toward healing. Cardinal Zen called it a betrayal.
Continued below.
A prophet in the shadow of the conclave
Cardinal Joseph Zen, a symbol of faith under persecution, arrives in Rome — not for the conclave, but to bear witness to the Church in China.
www.oursundayvisitor.com
