Beijing’s top Catholic cleric begins 5-day historic visit to Hong Kong to ‘promote exchanges and interactions’ between dioceses
- Bishop Joseph Li is on ‘reciprocal visit’, the first by Beijing’s top Catholic cleric since Hong Kong’s return to Chinese rule, following counterpart’s trip to capital
- Hong Kong’s Cardinal Stephen Chow visited Beijing earlier this year, saying it is important to love both country and church
Beijing’s top Catholic cleric began his historic visit on Tuesday to Hong Kong, where he planned to meet his local counterpart to “promote exchanges and interactions” between the two dioceses.
Bishop Joseph Li Shan’s first visit to the city was at the invitation of Cardinal Stephen Chow Sau-yan, the head of the Catholic diocese of Hong Kong, who visited Beijing in April.
Li visited the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on Caine Road in the morning, accompanied by Reverend Dominic Chan Chi-ming.
The five-day visit, the first by Beijing’s top Catholic cleric since Hong Kong’s return to Chinese rule in 1997, comes amid seemingly improving relations between the Vatican and mainland China, following the renewal of an agreement governing the approval of bishops.
The Catholic diocese of Hong Kong two weeks ago said Li’s trip was a “reciprocal visit” based on an invitation from Chow.
“Bishop Li will meet with the bishop of the diocese of Hong Kong and different diocesan offices to promote exchanges and interactions between the two dioceses,” it said.
In April, Chow paid a five-day visit to the country’s capital, where he celebrated mass, visited the tomb of Matteo Ricci, the 17th-century Italian Jesuit missionary, and met officials from the National Religious Affairs Administration.
