Pope Francis reportedly skipped planned remarks on China’s new Hong Kong “national security” law that severely restricts the freedoms of its people during his Sunday address.
Christopher Altieri, Rome bureau chief for the Catholic Herald, reported Monday that Vatican journalists received word that the pope would be using part of his address to respond to the situation in Hong Kong. However, that response never came.
An embargoed version of the pope’s planned speech was given to reporters over the weekend, but the words on Hong Kong were never spoken by the pope. Journalist Marco Tosatti released the omitted section and translated it from Italian into English. The few sentences expressed concern for the people of Hong Kong but stopped short of overtly condemning the Chinese government.
The Vatican has not yet contested or confirmed the validity of the published portion.
In fall 2018, Pope Francis signed off on an agreement with China that negotiated the nomination of Catholic bishops in the nation. The full details of the arrangement are still unclear, but its tentative nature led to speculation that it may have caused Pope Francis to avoid addressing the situation in Hong Kong.
“The questions journalists have now, are: ‘What made Pope Francis not say the thing?’ and ‘What does this tell us about both the Vatican’s China policy and who has the Pope’s ear in these and other regards?’ Pope Francis’s silence on Hong Kong has long been the subject of speculation, as has the question regarding those from whom he is taking advice in these and other regards. This episode has pushed those questions to the fore,” Altieri wrote.
Cardinal Joseph Zen, bishop emeritus of Hong Kong, spoke with the Wall Street Journal in February, months before the implementation of the new law.
“You can never compromise with a totalitarian regime because they want everything,” he said. “Would you have encouraged St. Joseph to negotiate with Herod?” He believes that the Hong Kong Catholic Church is being “murdered.”
“If Hong Kong loses its freedom, the Church will not be spared, and if the Church loses its freedom, it will no longer be able to defend the freedom of the people,” Zen elaborated in a tweet on Monday, according to the platform’s rough English translation.
Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, the president of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences, urged people of faith all around the world to “pray for Hong Kong” in response to the law.
China’s restrictions on Hong Kong criminalize secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces. Because of how broadly the law is written, China has the opportunity to crack down on those that oppose its governance. Already, a 15-year-old girl has been arrested for waving a Hong Kong independence flag and could face years in prison.
For all intents and purposes, mainland China does not allow freedom of religion. For years, Hong Kong has been a bastion of peace for religious people.
