Hong Kong bishop says pope named him to show love for China

Published: 2006-02-23

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Hong Kong Bishop Joseph Zen Ze-kiun said his nomination to the College of Cardinals is a sign of Pope Benedict XVI's love for China and his approval of the bishop's approach to the Chinese government and to the Catholic Church on the mainland. Pope Benedict announced Feb. 22 that he would make the 74-year-old bishop a cardinal during a March 24 consistory at the Vatican. "This appointment is a sign of the pope's good will and love for the whole of China," Cardinal-designate Zen told the Rome-based AsiaNews immediately after the papal announcement. Bishop Zen is known for his outspoken defense of maintaining democratic liberties, particularly the rights of the church, in Hong Kong and for expanding human rights on the mainland. The bishop also has been persistent in encouraging Catholics inside and outside of the country to recognize the faith of those mainland Catholics who practice their faith clandestinely and those who participate in the life and services of the government-approved Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association.

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