Forgiving is not forgetting, says top Catholic cleric ahead of June 4 anniversary

Ahead of the 35th anniversary of the June 4 incident, Cardinal Stephen Chow Sau-yan, head of the city's Catholic diocese, said people should learn to forgive, adding that “to forgive is not to forget”.

The top Catholic cleric wrote in a newspaper published on Friday, saying that people need “appropriate treatment” to heal from the scars.

“As we approach this time of the year once again, what I want to say brings both sadness and hope, coexisting with the event that took many lives in the capital 35 years ago. Despite the desire of some for that incident to come to a close, it still unsettles many people.” Chow wrote.

He said the "incident from 35 years ago" left deep trauma in people's hearts, which still aches even if it may have been concealed or scabbed. 

He added that his faith moves him to forgive anyone and anything.

“We can also learn to actively forgive, and that to forgive is not to forget,” Chow said, adding that it is a prerequisite for everyone to embrace a brighter future.