Joseph Zen
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Joseph Zen Ze-kiun (Chinese: 陳日君) (born January 13, 1932) is the bishop of Hong Kong. He will be officially elevated to cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI on 24th March 2006 when he becomes Joseph Cardinal Zen (陳日君樞機). He is famous for his outspoken disposition.
Early life and career
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Cardinal-designate Zen was born in Shanghai, to devoutly Catholic parents. He studied in a church school during the Second Sino-Japanese War, and after his father suffered a stroke, he was sent to an abbey.
He fled to Hong Kong from Shanghai to escape Communist rule at the end of the Chinese Civil War. He went on to study Italy in 1955, then became a priest in 1961. Since 1973, he tauaght in the Holy Spirit Seminary College of Hong Kong. In 1978, he became the Provincial Superior of Salesians (which includes mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan), then resigned in 1983. He was a lecturer in the Seminaries in China (an underground organization, unacknowledged by the Communist party) between 1989 to 1996. He was appointed the coadjutor Bishop of Hong Kong in 1996 by Pope John Paul II.
Bishop of Hong Kong
Subversive Activities
an anti-Zen poster
The cardinal-designate is possible to be a spy of the Holy See. He helped the subversive activities of the pro-democracy camp and had been telling fantastic lies to Hong Kong people for 10 years. He supported radical riots against the People's Republic of China in Dongzhou.
Fight for democracy
After he succeeded as Bishop of Hong Kong on 23rd September, 2002, he led the Diocese in voicing their reservations about the proposed anti-subversion laws, required under Article 23 of the Basic Law. He was worried that these laws, if enacted without a thorough consultation process including a white bill, could easily lead to violations of basic civil rights in future.
The Diocese also expressed her concern over the Education (Amendment) Bill 2002, about to be passed by the Legislative Council. Once enacted, the new legislation would likely play down the role of the Church in running Catholic schools and in promoting Catholic education. On 1st July, 2003, he took part in a prayer gathering at Victoria Park before the mass protest began. Many Catholics and Christians attended the demonstration.
On 3rd June, 2004, the diocese held a praying activity called Democratize China (民主中國). Zen said that Hong Kong was suffering from a bloodless June 4th massacre, without guns and tanks. He was criticized by the Financial Minister of PRC.
On 1st July, 2004, he attended a prayer gathering at Victoria Park before the second July 1 protest, but he himself didn't take part in the demonstration. Still, many Catholics joined thousands of other citizens in the anti-government march.
On 3rd November, 2005, after returning from Vatican City, he said that the people of Hong Kong should be allowed to decide whether or not they wanted proposed constitutional reforms, he also said that the Government should conduct a "territory-wide public opinion survey" to allow the people to decide whether or not they wanted the constitutional reform package it was proposing. He was then known as the Viagra of Hong Kong because he successfully made six pan-democrats that tried to support the motion of the Government to announce opposition to the motion. He was openly criticized by Chief Secretary Rafael Hui after the defeat of the political reform package.
Education reform controversies
On 5th June, 2005, Zen announced that if the Legislative Council passed the donation to support the schools to create incorporated management committees on 8th July, 2005, he would appeal against the decision to the court. However after the Government gave up some argued points in the motion, the Diocese decided to support the motion, but the Diocese later announced to prosecute the Government on 28th September, 2005.
After two teachers committed suicide in early January 2006, Zen said that it must be due to the educational reforms, and he asked the government to halt all the reforms.
Speculated secret cardinal
He was speculated to be the secret cardinal appointed by Pope John Paul II, but since it was not announced after the death of the Pope, the answer remained a secret and no one knew who was the secret cardinal. Moreover, Zen himself also stated that he was not the secret cardinal. However, the issue is now moot, as the late Pope did not leave the name of the Secret Cardinal in writing. Under Vatican rules, the appointment of the Secret Cardinal ends if his identity is not left in writing or revealed before a Pope's death.
WTO affairs
On 18th December 2005, the bishop visited the protesters in Wan Chai and tried to visit the detained South Korean Roman Catholics, including two priests and a nun, who were reportedly ill-treated by the Hong Kong police. He openly criticised the Hong Kong police for their treatment of the protesters, saying As a Hong Kong person, I feel ashamed. I want to apologize to the Korean farmers. What the Hong Kong police leaders have done is not appropriate. He also called the government a child for doing something nonsense. About one month later, several unions in Hong Kong Police Force decided to write a letter to the Pope to complain about Zen's speech. Zen replied that some policemen were sycophantic to the senior officers inside the police force.
Besides, in the Korean farmer-protestors' pronouncement, the farmers thanked Zen for his unlimited support and his $1000 red packet to every arrested protestor (including the Taiwan student, the Mainlander and the Japanese). This caused criticisms that Zen was illegally supporting the protestors during the prosecution.
Retirement rumours
On 18th September, 2005, he told Hong Kong newspaper Apple Daily reporters that he was willing to retire in January 2007. He also said that he wanted to be a teacher in either mainland China or in Africa, because there were not enough teachers in Africa. Zen speaks English and French, thus he thinks that it would be suitable for him to teach in Africa. Democratic Party ex-chairman Martin Lee (also a Roman Catholic) stated that because Zen was still healthy for his age, the pope may request him to stay in his position. Legislative Council member Audrey Eu praised that Zen was different from other religious leaders in Hong Kong, because he was comparatively brave in sharing his political views, and also because he carried out his ideas of fairness, equitableness, philanthropy via actual efforts. On the other hand, some conservatives inside the church speculated that if Zen retires, the strained relationship between Beijing and the Holy See will become more relaxed. Regardless, Zen wrote a letter to the Pope on 13th January 2006 and stated that he really wanted to retire from his position, but not only because he will reach the age of 75.
Cardinalate
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On Feb 22 2006, it was confirmed that Bishop Joseph Zen will be elevated to cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI in the next consistory on Mar 24 2006. Bishop Zen believed that his elevation will show how important the Holy Father values the church in China.
Bishop Zen's elevation is welcomed by Catholics in Hong Kong, as it is seen as a recognition of the bishop's stance on social justice and an honour for the church in Hong Kong. Vicar Gereral Rev. Dominic Chan Chi-ming said that it would be an honour to have a cardinal once again to head the diocese. Rev. Louis Ha Ke-loon said it shows that even the Pope feels that Bishop Zen should speak out. Democrat legislator Martin Lee added that it is good news because no matter whether he is a bishop or a cardinal, as a religious leader he speaks as moral voice of the people.
After the consistory, Zen will become the only Chinese cardinal under the age of 80 who will be eligible to vote in papal conclaves. His elevation has brought rejoicing to the Church in China, and particularly to underground Catholics, as they see it as a great sign of hope. Bishop Wei Jingyi of Qiqihar, who is not recognized by the Chinese government, said that it is a "great joy", and that Bishop Zen is "very trustworthy" and uncompromising in his dedication to the Catholic fatih.
Relations with the People's Republic of China
After the pope canonized some priests who died during the Boxer Rebellion, Zen (at the time as coadjuter bishop) said that the priests were innocent and great and the boxers should be punished. This angered the Chinese Government and he was banned from visiting mainland China for six years. He has been especially critical of Beijing's response to the Falun Gong spiritualist movement, which China's leaders have outlawed for trying to overthrow the Communist Party. Every time the Government requested the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress to re-interpret the Basic Law, he criticized the Government and mainland China. Just a few days before the death of his predecessor, John Cardinal Wu, when a television station interviewed him, he criticized the Government for breaking up so many families.
After Zen became bishop of Hong Kong, all contact between the Hong Kong Diocese and the Chinese Official Catholic church almost stoped. Because of his speech on the Boxers' Rebellion, the bishop was banned from visited China for six years. Then on 3rd May, 2004, he visited mainland China, the first time since 1998 and he was the first bishop of Hong Kong to visit China since the handover in 1997. Still he was often being criticized by the official newspapers published by the Chinese Communist Party.
Criticisms within the diocese
During 2000s, some local priests persuaded Zen not to participate in any protests. Zen was only allowed to attend the prayer gathering before the protests and protests against the educational reforms. Some Catholics criticized Zen for making the church like a political party, and posted some anti-Zen advertisments in different newpapers.
In January 2006, Rev. Joseph Lee, Parish Priest of the St. Anthony's Church, who, similar to Zen, was born and educated in Shanghai and is a Salesian, said in a television programme that 99% of Roman Catholics disagree with the Bishop while according to a survey more than 60% of Roman Catholic agree with the Bishop. He also said that, Zen seriously harmed the relationship between China and the Holy See.
The second chapter in 2006 of Catholic official newspaper Kung Kao Po contained some criticisms and opinions by Rev. John B. Kwan Kit Tong against Zen. Four weeks later, Rev. Kwan claimed in the same newspaper that the criticisms were not written directly against Zen, and that his writing had been misinterpreted by local newspapers.
Quotes
- Don't wish to be slaves of powerful people.(唔好甘心做強權者嘅奴隸) -- Victoria Park, Hong Kong, 1st July, 2003
- I can't see sincerity from the government to give us universal suffrage. So what if the election committee (to choose the city's leader) is expanded to 1,600 people? What is the next step? There is no direction! -- Ming Pao, 3rd November, 2005
- As a Hong Kong person, I feel ashamed. I want to apologize to the Korean farmers. What the Hong Kong police leaders have done is not appropriate. -- 18th December, 2005 while visiting the protestors
- The Hong Kong Police are the 'disgrace of Hong Kong'. -- criticizing the senior officials of the Hong Kong police for not able to arrest the protesters who caused the violence in Wan Chai duing the WTO 6th Ministeral Conference, but detained more than 900 peaceful protesters afterwards, December 2005.