Monsignor Zen: We Christians, Democrats, and Lovers of China
Full Text of the speech delivered by Monsignor Joseph Zen in Victoria Park on July 1
Hong Kong (AsiaNews) About 10,000 Catholics and Protestants gathered together in Victoria Park for a shared moment of prayer and meditation ahead of the July 1 pro-Democracy march. Monsignor Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, Bishop of Hong Kong, the Reverend Ralph Lee Ting-sun of the Methodist Church, and the Reverend Eric So Shing-yit of the Christian Council of Hong Kong led the meeting. Here is the full text of Monsignor Zen's speech (translated by AsiaNews)
Last Friday the Justice and Peace Commission of the Hong Kong Catholic Diocese asked me urgently to give them my speech for the Prayer Meeting Today. The Responsorial Psalm of that day's Mass gave me inspiration. Psalm 137 describes the people of God in slavery, taken to Babylon, far away from Zion. After a day's hard labour they sat down by the river and wept, and remembering their homeland they hung up their lyres on the poplars. Their captors said to them, "Sing for us one of your songs of Zion!" How could they have the heart to sing. From their heart they could only cry out, "If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand wither! Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth (to become dumb)!" I feel that this Psalm helps us to express the sorrow in our hearts.
1 July is the anniversary of our return under the sovereignty of our country, which is, of course, a good thing. Should we not celebrate? But in fact we are not in the mood of celebrating!
Do not misunderstand me. Let me stress again what I have stressed before: It is a right thing to return to China, it is worthwhile to celebrate. During the Mass of thanksgiving and invocation on 1 July 1997 I said in the homily, "A hundred years ago an impotent government accepted the unequal treaty and gave up this land which is part of China to Britain. It was an immoral exchange. Today, under the climate of anti-colonialism and when China is rising up as a strong nation on the international scene, this historical unjustice has to be remedied. This is right and proper. God who is the Lord of justice is clapping His hands and we praise His name with great jubilation."
But I said also on the same occasion, "We have not only to celebrate the end of the 150 years of national shame. We are standing here at the present moment and looking towards the future. 1 July is not only a day of celebration. It is also a day of commitment." I also added, "We hope that the political return is also a cultural return for Hong Kong and for China, and finally through the cultural return a religious return." Return to our motherland is a wonderful event but to bring about the coming of the Kingdom of God is more wonderful. "The Kingdom of God demands that we transform ourselves and the world. When we are happily celebrating the return of Hong Kong to China let us not forget that there are still many problems waiting for us to find solutions."
Today, after seven years of the return, our situation seems even farther from the heavenly kingdom, so we are still in exile, there is more sorrow than joy.
Seven years ago we, the three Bishops representing the Catholic Church, took part in the Ceremony of the return of Hong Kong to China. We witnessed the great historical event. But many unfortunate happenings followed which brought us in conflict with the SAR Government: the right of abode, the article 23 of the Basic Law etc. These of course do not make us think that the return is a negative event. But since we are now masters of our own fate and we are to enjoy a high degree of autonomy according to the "one country, two systems" principle we have the right and duty to take active part in public affairs. We have to use our freedom of speech and other freedoms in a positive way to bring about the Kingdom of God.
Last year this day I took part in the ceremony of the raising of the national flag and the cocktail party for the anniversary of the return in the morning. And in the afternoon I came to Victoria Park for the prayer meeting and to encourage our brothers and sisters to join in the protest march. It is the same this year. I see no contradiction in doing so. Because to protest is precisely in order to complete the process of return, to quicken the arrival of the heavenly kingdom and to make possible for every one in our motherland to take pride in Hong Kong.
Dear brothers and sisters, you who are here present, allow me to voice out also in your name the main dissatisfaction in our hearts. Some people out of devious motives have created distrust between us and the central government resulting in the central government suspecting us of being not patriotic, of working for independence. And in consequence the central government vetoed the universal suffrage for 2007 and 2008 even before we had the chance to discuss the issue. Today we are marching to appeal to We are confident the leaders of the central government will understand that the reason for this protest march is the long term stability and prosperity of Hong Kong and to demonstrate to the world the vitality of the "one country, two systems". We are confident that if we have the trust of the leaders of the central government and of the SAR, Hong Kong people will be united to solve our own problems, and instead of being a burden to our motherland, we will be able to contribute positively to our country.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we are happy to see that there are signs of reconciliations these days. The olive branches here are a symbol of our desire and hope for peace. May your march today be a peaceful one throughout. If ever there are disturbances I ask you not to return word for word, nor fist for fist. What will be more important is that in the days after the march we keep pursuing our ideals of democracy and freedom, which patience and perseverance, each one at his combat position: as parents, as teachers, in the legal profession, in the media, in the political parties, let us sow the seeds of democracy and hope.
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02/07/2007
30/06/2020 12:43
