Hong Kong cardinal visits Chinese Catholics in California

Published: 2007-05-18

SAN FRANCISCO (CNS) -- Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun of Hong Kong visited San Francisco May 11-14 in one of several stops planned for him to visit Chinese Catholic communities in the U.S. and Canada. While in the Bay Area the cardinal visited privately with San Francisco Archbishop George H. Niederauer and Auxiliary Bishop Ignatius C. Wang, a native of Bejing and the first Chinese Catholic bishop ordained in North America. The cardinal, a Salesian, also presided at the May 13 Chinese-language Mass at San Francisco's Sts. Peter and Paul Parish, which is staffed by Salesians. The cardinal urged San Francisco Catholics to pray for a resolution of tensions between the Vatican and the government-controlled Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association. He also said in Hong Kong the government is stepping up control of the administration of Catholic schools. According to Bishop Wang, Cardinal Zen has unsuccessfully fought in court against governmental management of Catholic schools in Hong Kong.

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