Catholics join protest ahead of world trade conference in Hong Kong

Published: 2005-12-14

HONG KONG (CNS) -- About 150 Catholic university students, Korean farmers, lay people, priests and nuns joined thousands of other protesters before the sixth World Trade Organization ministerial conference in Hong Kong. The Korean Catholic Farmers' Movement, International Movement of Catholic Students and International Catholic Movement for Intellectual and Cultural Affairs organized a special gathering and Mass before the Catholics joined the larger protest. In his speech at the Catholic gathering, Bishop Joseph Zen Ze-kiun of Hong Kong said globalization, if imbued with the principles of justice and love, could lead to progress, reported UCA News, an Asian church news agency based in Thailand. However, if it is "guided only by the pursuit of profit and merciless competition, it becomes a machine" that produces wealth for a few people but "devours those who cannot defend themselves in the battle for survival of the fittest," the bishop said.

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