‘Patriotism is everyone’s duty’: Hong Kong bishop brushes aside ‘politicising religion’ concerns during historic Beijing visit
- Bishop Stephen Chow’s five-day trip marks first time city’s top Catholic cleric has visited Beijing since Hong Kong’s return to Chinese rule
- ‘Everyone would like to see their own country do well, no one wants it to do badly,’ Chow says
Hong Kong’s top Catholic cleric has said patriotism is everyone’s duty, as he brushed aside suggestions that his historic visit to Beijing could be perceived as a move to “politicise religion”.
Bishop Stephen Chow Sau-yan of the Catholic diocese of Hong Kong on Friday also revealed that he had invited his Beijing counterpart, Joseph Li Shan, to visit the city before wrapping up his five-day trip to the capital.
The trip, which marks the first time the city’s top Catholic cleric has visited Beijing since Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997, came amid renewed tensions between the Vatican and Beijing.
Chow said it was important to love both the country and the church during a mass he held with Auxiliary Bishop Reverend Joseph Ha Chi-shing and Vicar General Reverend Peter Choy Wai-man at St Joseph’s Church, also known as Wangfujing Catholic Church.
“Everyone would like to see their own country do well, no one wants it to do badly. I think it’s everyone’s duty to be patriotic if you’re a citizen in Hong Kong or mainland China,” Chow said when he met the press.
Asked if he was concerned that his trip to the capital at this moment in time could lead to accusations of “politicising religion”, Chow said: “I’m not too worried. The most important thing is we do it out of our conscience and we can see the holy God has invited us to do so.”
Chow reiterated his wish to see more exchanges between Hong Kong churches and their mainland counterparts, including additional visits to Beijing.
