Pope confirms Cardinal Zen as leader of Hong Kong’s Catholics
by Kevin Wang
The Cardinal turned 75 last January but Benedict XVI has not accepted his resignation and has asked him to collaborate with the Holy See from the Territory “to participate in concerns for the Church in China.”
Hong Kong (AsiaNews) – Benedict XVI has asked Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun to remain at the helm of Hong Kong diocese even though Zen has reached the customary retirement age of 75. The cardinal has been asked, as Bishop of Hong Kong, to “participate in the concerns for the Church in China in collaboration with the Holy See.”
Cardinal Zen announced the news himself in an open letter to the 250,000 Catholics of his diocese. He writes that “the Holy Father has decided not to accept my repeated request to step down from the leadership of our diocese. Benedict XVI has asked me to remain in office until further notice, and to do whatever I can to assist the Holy See with the situation of the Chinese Church.”
The Pope’s decision arrived in Hong Kong by means of a letter written by Cardinal Ivan Dias, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. Cardinal Zen, who turned 75 last January, had already offered his resignation in 2006, prior to being created cardinal.
L’offerta è stata ripetuta anche lo scorso settembre, quando il Papa ha incontrato il porporato nell’ambito di un vertice in Vaticano, guidato dal Segretario di Stato, convocato per discutere “la situazione della Chiesa cattolica in Cina”.Fra i partecipanti all’incontro c'erano cinque prelati cinesi, provenienti da Hong Kong, Taiwan e Macao.
He repeated the offer last September, when he met with the Pope for a special meeting in the Vatican, convoked by the Secretary of State to discuss “the situation of the Catholic Church in China.” Among participant were five Chinese prelates from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macao.
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