HONG KONG (LifeSiteNews) – Cardinal Joseph Zen is set to appear in court on the “Day of Prayer for the Church in China.”
The 90-year-old emeritus bishop of Hong Kong, Zen was arrested May 11 for “allegedly colluding with foreign forces” before being released on bail. Now, according to the Guardian, he may appear in court on May 24 and could face new charges.
“A source close to him said the cardinal was set to appear in court on 24 May, adding it was possible that he would be further detained, should charges be laid,” the Guardian reported.
The date coincides with the “Day of Prayer for the Church in China” instituted by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007. In a special letter addressed to Chinese Catholics and dated May 2007, the then-Pontiff wrote that “the date 24 May could in the future become an occasion for the Catholics of the whole world to be united in prayer with the Church which is in China.”
Pope Benedict XVI chose this date because it is the feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians, “who is venerated with great devotion at the Marian Shrine of Sheshan in Shanghai.”
He added: “I would like that date to be kept by you as a day of prayer for the Church in China. I encourage you to celebrate it by renewing your communion of faith in Jesus our Lord and of faithfulness to the Pope, and by praying that the unity among you may become ever deeper and more visible.”
Cardinal Zen recently tweeted about the day of prayer, promoting the Mass he will reportedly celebrate at 8 p.m in Hong Kong.
為中國教會祈禱日彌撒
榮休教宗本篤十六世於2007年欽定每年5月24日「聖母進教之佑瞻禮日」為「普世教會為在中國天主教會祈禱日」。
日期：2022年5月24日（星期二）
時間：晚上八時正
地點：聖十字架堂
主禮：陳日君樞機查詢：2560 3865 / [email protected]
彌撒將於正委Facebook及YouTube同步直播 pic.twitter.com/eJcgf3Helx— Joseph Zen (@CardJosephZen) May 17, 2022
It is unclear whether the cardinal will indeed attend court on the same day he intends to celebrate the public Mass.
The prominent former opposition legislator Margaret Ng Ngoi-yee, the singer Denise Ho Wan-sze, and Xu Baoqiang were also arrested on May 11, and a fifth individual was re-arrested while already serving jail time for “illegal assemblies.”
All five were arrested for their role as the trustees of the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund. The Fund offered “legal, medical, psychological, and emergency financial assistance” to more than 2,000 people involved in the 2019 pro-democracy protests against the government’s Extradition Law Amendment Bill, which would allow prisoners to be transferred to China for trial.
Chinese authorities justified the arrests by saying that the five trustees were accused of “imposing sanctions on the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (and) endangering national security.”
With news of the arrests, outrage spread throughout the world in both religious and political spheres. Bishop Athanasius Schneider of Kazakhstan called Zen’s arrest “absolutely shameful and a challenge to the Church of God.”
However, the response from the Vatican and the Diocese of Hong Kong has been somewhat more muted. The Holy See Press Office director Matteo Bruni issued a statement May 11, writing: “The Holy See has learned with concern the news of Cardinal Zen’s arrest and is following the evolution of the situation with extreme attention.”
The Diocese of Hong Kong issued a similarly worded statement later, saying the diocese “is extremely concerned about the condition and safety of Cardinal Joseph Zen and we are offering our special prayers for him.”
READ: Catholic priest says Chinese communists are tightening their grip on the Church in Hong Kong
Meanwhile, the Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin has downplayed suggestions that Zen’s arrest would impede the renewal of the secretive deal the Vatican has made with China. Parolin voiced his hope that “initiatives such as this one will not complicate the already complex and not simple path of dialogue between the Holy See and the Church in China.”
Cardinal Zen has long been a vocal critic of the deal, accusing Francis of “encouraging a schism” and “selling out the Catholic Church in China.” He styled the deal “an incredible betrayal.”
The deal was first established in 2018 and later renewed in 2020. It is up for renewal again this fall, and though still secret, it allegedly recognizes the state-approved church and allows the Chinese Communist Party to appoint bishops. The Pope apparently maintains a veto power although in practice it is the CCP who have control. It also allegedly allows for the removal of legitimate bishops to be replaced by CCP approved bishops.
Is the Vatican selling out Cardinal Zen for the sake of their ‘secret’ deal with the Chinese communists? pic.twitter.com/Q4n3LZmcOK
— Nick Donnelly (@ProtecttheFaith) May 18, 2022
The Vatican’s continued response to Cardinal Zen’s arrest is now in the spotlight. Earlier this year, the Vatican’s top ranking officials in both Taiwan and Hong Kong were removed within weeks of each other and have yet to be replaced, prompting Hong Kong Watch’s Benedict Rogers to speculate that the Vatican could be looking to strengthen ties with China.