Chow's five-day trip, to start on April 17, follows an invitation last year by the Bishop of Beijing, Joseph Li Shan, the Hong Kong Catholic Diocese said in a statement on Thursday.

It cited Chow saying the visit "underscores the mission of the Diocese of Hong Kong to be a bridge....and promote exchanges and interactions between the two sides".

A Diocese spokesperson on Friday confirmed to Reuters that it will be the first time since 1994 - when Hong Kong was still a British colony - that a Hong Kong bishop has officially visited Beijing.

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said that China was not aware of Chow's upcoming visit.

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Zen, 90, was to have stood trial beginning Monday in connection to his role as a trustee of a pro-democracy legal fund, which he and other trustees are accused of failing to register civilly. Zen is the bishop emeritus of Hong Kong, an outspoken advocate for religious freedom and democracy, and a sharp critic of the Vatican's 2018 agreement with Beijing on the appointment of bishops.

Local media reported over the weekend that the trial — originally set to begin on 19 September and expected to conclude with a verdict on 23 September — has been delayed by at least two days because Permanent Magistrate Ada Yim Shun-yee, the judge overseeing the case, contracted COVID-19. Zen has been free on bail since early May.

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Tang Kai-yin, 31, was among a group of 12 Hong Kong activists caught by the Chinese coast guard in August 2020 as they fled by speedboat to avoid prosecutions related to 2019's huge, sometimes violent, pro-democracy protests.

The group, with the exception of two minors, was convicted in a closed-door trial in mainland city Shenzhen, with Tang receiving the heaviest sentence of three years in jail as an organiser of the run.

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In an interview with Reuters, Francis discussed the China deal first struck in 2018 and to be renewed every two years.

The agreement was put in place to ease a longstanding divide across mainland China between an underground flock loyal to the pope and a state-backed official church.

Both sides now recognise the pope as the supreme leader of the Catholic Church.

The accord, which is still provisional, centres on cooperation over the appointment of bishops. It gives the pope the final say.

"The agreement is moving well and I hope that in October it can be renewed," Francis said.

There has been some criticism of the accord and not just because the details have been kept private.

One of the deal's most vocal opponents is Cardinal Joseph Zen, 90, the former archbishop of Hong Kong.

"The Vatican may have acted out of good faith but they have made an unwise decision," Zen told a gathering on Hong Kong island last month.

Archbishop Zen prayed for "brothers and sisters who cannot attend the Mass in any form tonight - for they have no freedom now".

Zen and others have accused the Vatican of turning a blind eye to human rights violations in China.

However, Francis defended the agreement as being the statecraft of working with the little available and trying to improve it.

"Diplomacy is like that. When you face a blocked situation, you have to find the possible way, not the ideal way out of it," Francis said.

"Diplomacy is the art of the possible and of doing things to make the possible become a reality," he said.

Only six new bishops have been appointed since the deal, which its opponents say proves it is not producing the desired effects.

The pope called the slow process "'the Chinese way,' because the Chinese have that sense of time that nobody can rush them".

Meanwhile, the European Parliament has urged the Catholic institution to defend religious freedom in Hong Kong, as some Catholics and other religious minorities face growing persecution in the country.

The European Parliament called on the Holy See to "strengthen its diplomatic efforts and its leverage on the Chinese authorities" in a resolution made on July 7.

The EU resolution encouraged the Vatican "to give full support to Cardinal Zen and other religious leaders who face persecution or the risk of detention under the national security regime in Hong Kong".

Cardinal Zen was arrested by Chinese authorities on May 11 alongside four other pro-democracy activists.

The cardinal was released a day later and his trial is expected to take place on September 19. Zen has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The European Parliament called on the Vatican "to demand that all charges against Cardinal Zen be dropped and (for) an end to persecution and human rights violations."

Sources

Reuters

Religion News

At the same time, Hong Kong's new bishop has underlined the importance of protecting human dignity.

Speaking anonymously during an online discussion, the cleric said the freedom of religious schools is particularly under threat.

The cleric, identified only as Reverend L, told the Hudson Institute's Nina Shea on February 10 that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) appears to be using ideological tactics, such as education, to chip away at the freedom of religion in Hong Kong.

"In terms of restricting the rights of religious freedom, the CCP is doing it step-by-step," Reverend L said. He noted that China has imposed severe restrictions on the rights of assembly, the press and speech in Hong Kong in recent years.

"Freedom of religion is the only remaining freedom in Hong Kong at this moment," he said.

In contrast to mainland China, where religious believers of all stripes are routinely restricted, citizens of Hong Kong have historically enjoyed freedom of religion.

However, religious freedom has been particularly eroded in Hong Kong since 2019, due to the CCP's efforts to control the populace through an "ideological war", Reverend L commented.

In his first interview since he was ordained to lead the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong, Bishop Stephen Chow Sau-yan underlined the importance of protecting human dignity.

"I find it unacceptable for human dignity to be ignored, trampled upon, or eliminated entirely. God gave us this dignity when he created us in his image and likeness. And therefore it is universal because it comes from the love of God," Chow said, according to the Italian magazine Mondo e Missione (World and Mission).

The 62-year-old was consecrated as a bishop in Hong Kong's Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on December 4.

"I do not live by public opinion. Otherwise, I would not be free to discern God's will and have inner freedom. Mine is a balancing act, and I find this stimulating," Chow said.

He explained that he does not see himself as a diplomat because he is a bishop, and that is a distinct role.

"I am not a diplomat; a bishop is not that. Sure, sometimes we have to be diplomatic, but my main concern is discerning God's will," he said.

Sources

Catholic News Agency

Catholic News Agency

Bishop-elect Stephen Chow Sau-yan told journalists that he did not think it would be wise to comment on especially controversial issues, particularly on China, the day after his appointment.

"That would be rash," he said. "But it is not because I am afraid, but, I think, I believe that prudence is also a virtue."

During the 45-minute press conference, organized by the Diocese of Hong Kong, Chow responded to questions about religious freedom in Hong Kong.

This is at a time when the region is being tested after the passage of national security laws.

"For me, religious freedom is a basic right," Chow said.

He added that he believed Cardinal John Tong Hon, the diocese's apostolic administrator since January 2019, had encouraged the government not to forget the importance of allowing the practice of all faiths.

With "Beijing, I believe that we must also start also with a sense of - we don't assume they are enemies. So how can we, through our faith have some dialogue, have some understanding together," the bishop-elect said.

The people of Hong Kong have historically enjoyed freedom of worship and evangelization. While in mainland China there is a long history of persecution for Christians who run afoul of the government.

The Diocese of Hong Kong has been without a permanent bishop since January 2019. Since then, millions of people in Hong Kong, including many Catholics, participated in large-scale pro-democracy protests.

The Chinese government also gained the power to suppress the movement with the passage of national security laws.

When asked if he would publicly mark the June 4 anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, the bishop-elect said that this "depends on the legal requirements."

Chow said the church will adopt a position of "passive co-operation" in politics as the city grapples with the fall-out from months of protest and the imposition of a wide-ranging national security law by Beijing.

"I pray for China. I pray for all those who have passed in 1989."

Chow said he thought that "listening and empathy" was very important to heal the divisions within Hong Kong. He added that "unity is not the same as uniformity."

"I've just been appointed. I really have no grand plan of how to unify. But, I do believe there is a God, and God wants us to be united," he said.

Sources

Catholic News Agency

Hong Kong Free Press

America Magazine