Hong Kong bishop reiterates call for participation in democracy rally

Published: 2004-06-28

HONG KONG (CNS) -- Bishop Joseph Zen Ze-kiun of Hong Kong reiterated his call to local Catholics to join a July 1 pro-democracy protest. Bishop Zen met with mainland Chinese officials June 25 in Hong Kong, reported UCA News, an Asian church news agency based in Thailand. The bishop refused to disclose details, but said he told officials of his call to local Catholics to take part in the march. The bishop told UCA News that the meeting was "frank and harmonious." He said the meeting would not affect his determination to encourage local Catholics to join the July 1 protest to demand democracy in Hong Kong. In his view, the protest is not "a celebratory procession." The meeting coincided with publication of the bishop's article in the June 27 issue of two diocesan weeklies -- the Chinese-language Kung Kao Po and English-language Sunday Examiner -- calling on local Catholics to take part in the July 1 protest.

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