Beijing bishop in historic visit

Ayra Wang and Associated Press

The head of the Catholic church in China, Bishop Joseph Li Shan, began a five-day visit to Hong Kong yesterday at the invitation of the city's pope-appointed Roman Catholic cardinal - marking the first official visit by a Beijing bishop in history.

Li is on a reciprocal visit after Cardinal Stephen Chow Sau-yan visited Beijing on his invitation in April for the first visit in nearly three decades by the city's head of the Catholic diocese.

His first day began at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Mid-Levels, at around 9am with priest Chan Chi-ming giving him a tour around the church and the parish.

Li took part in an evening prayer service at a chapel on Monday and exchanged gifts with Chow.

But reactions to the China-backed bishop's visit among local Catholics were mixed.

A Hong Kong Catholic, Wong, said: "It's good to see that Hong Kong's bishop [Chow] is making efforts to improve religious communication between Hong Kong and the mainland."

But another, Yeung, said he refuses to attend mass if Li was there, citing differing views on the fusion of Catholicism.

The Hong Kong diocese said Li would meet with Chow as well as different diocesan offices at the invitation of the cardinal, aiming to "promote exchanges and interactions between the two dioceses."

Experts said the invitation was a symbolic gesture that could strengthen the fragile relationship between China and the Vatican.

Beijing and the Vatican severed diplomatic ties in 1951 following the Communist Party's rise to power and the expulsion of foreign priests.

Since the break in ties, Catholics in China have been divided between those who belong to an official, state-sanctioned church and those in an underground church loyal to the pope.

The Vatican recognizes members of both as Catholics but claims the exclusive right to choose bishops.

The Vatican and China signed an accord in 2018 over the thorny issue of bishop nomination, but Beijing has violated it. Most recently, Pope Francis was forced to accept the unilateral appointment of a new bishop of Shanghai.

Francis in September insisted that the Vatican's relations with China were going well but said work must still be done to demonstrate its independence from foreign powers.

During his trip to Mongolia that month, he also sent a special greeting to China's "noble" people, giving them a special shout-out at the end of a Mass.

The 2018 agreement has been harshly criticized by Hong Kong Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, who was detained for alleged collusion with foreign forces under National Security Law. He was released on bail and yet to be formally charged, but he and five others were fined in a separate case last November for failing to register a now-defunct set up to help arrested protesters.

ayra.wang@singtaonewscorp.com