Card Chow talks about the Tiananmen dead and forgiveness
The bishop penned his thoughts about the "sensitive” date, which is taboo in Hong Kong, in an article published yesterday by the diocesan weekly Sunday Examiner. In it, the bishop remembers the “life sapping event that took place 35 years ago” in Beijing on 4 June 1989. Although impossible to forget, he suggests to look at it through the eyes of “God’s unconditional love” who forgives even those who “are not yet courageous enough to ask for it.
Hong Kong (AsiaNews) – The eve of 4 June, the 35th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, is upon us. This is a particularly sensitive date in Hong Kong, where the authorities have made any public commemoration impossible, to the point that no one dares mention it.
Only a few days ago, more people were arrested in connection with a Facebook page dedicated to the memory of the vigils that took place every year until 2019 to mark the anniversary.
This year, pro-Beijing groups are setting up stands in Victoria Park, where memorial rallies were once held, until 5 June to mask the emptiness of “forbidden memory".
Against such a backdrop, Card Stephen Chow Sau-yan, bishop of Hong Kong, published this thoughts in the diocesan weekly Sunday Examiner to mark the 35th anniversary, which we publish below.
Shortly after his appointment in 2022, the prelate gave an interview to Mondo e Missione.
“I joined Amnesty International[*] before 1989,” he said on that occasion. “The incidents of 1989[†] made a big impression on me, putting me in touch with my identity as a Chinese. My personal story and that of the Chinese people were connected by that event.”
We are once again very near to that time of the year. I would like to say something that conveys sadness and hope, co-existing in the life sapping event that took place 35 years ago in the capital city. No matter how much some might want this event to be settled, it remains unsettling for many. The human psyche is complex and has a will of its own, not an existent that always readily follows external demands. Maybe this is what makes us humans not always predictable, but profoundly interesting with unknown potentials.
What happened 35 years ago has left a deep wound in parts of our psyche, though it has been buried and scarred over. Yet, it remains a sore spot that requires proper attention for healing. And I am praying for that closure to happen. Having said that, I understand that we must not wait but to move on. A healthy life should not be stuck in a dark space of unending sorrows and resentment.
However, this does not mean I can forget what I saw and felt ever so deeply on that night and the following weeks. Even though my memories are no longer vivid, my heart has feelings that remain alive, particularly around this time of the year.
My faith, nonetheless, prompts me to forgive whoever and whatever. Maybe it is through forgiveness that the different parties can move beyond finger pointing and the painful “I will never forgive” mindset. With forgiveness already available, reconciliation and healing may stand a better chance of becoming a reality.
Our God is a God of unconditional love. His forgiveness is always available for those who need it but are not yet courageous enough to ask for it. God’s unconditional love for us is overwhelmingly expressed through the passion and death of his only Son, even when we are living in a state of unconfessed sinfulness.
Thankfully, it is through this self-sacrificial act of love that we are aware of our need for God’s forgiveness. And with the resurrection of the Son, we can enjoy a new beginning. Precisely because God’s forgiveness does not require our repentance, we can also learn to proactively forgive. Even though to forgive does not mean to forget, it does offer a pre-condition for our inner freedom and a brighter future for all.
Before I finish my reflection on this fateful time of the year, allow me to share a prayer with you here. Should you also feel inspired, I would be honoured to have you join me in prayer.
“Oh, the Lord of history!
In prayers I have walked with the victims and their families in the past 35 years;
With no lack of occasional reflections and fluctuating sadness that seems unending at times.
Yet at the same time, I am holding fast to my hope in the risen Lord who has gone through death himself.
Now, I come before you in prayer.
In faith and hope, I entrust you, Lord, with the country’s democratic development. You who are forever just and wise.
Let me put on your yoke and learn from you.
That I may have a glimpse through your goodness and humility, the eternal desire of life.
Moving forward in love, supporting each other in addressing our contradictions, let us enjoy the beauty of trinitarian communion.
Oh Lord, please guide us! Please walk with us, the people of China!
Amen.”
+ Cardinal Stephen Chow, SJ
[*] The cardinal is no longer a member of Amnesty International.
[†] Tiananmen Square movement and its violent repression.
.png)
10/07/2023 16:45
06/06/2017 13:48
