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#Politicization #MidAutumnFestival #FailedState
Hong Kong Correctional Services Rejects Retired Cardinal's Applications to Distribute Mooncakes to Persons in Custody for "Political" Reason

Retired cardinal of the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong, Joseph Zen Ze-Kiu, have been sending mooncakes to persons in custody for Mid-Autumn Festival since 2010. He was still able to do so in the midst of the 2019 anti-ELAB movement.

However, the Hong Kong Correctional Services Department (CSD) has rejected his application in 2020 on the grounds of categorizing it as a politicised activity.

In Zen’s blog, he felt upset to be forced to discontinue this tradition of his, because he understood that this year's mid-autumn festival for the persons in custody would be less warm. They have always looked forward to the mooncakes and always asked him during visitations, “Cardinal, any mooncake this year?”

Some of them said, “At least, there are people who still remember us and are willing to care for us during this festive season.”

Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong shared this activity on his Facebook page earlier and said he had received Zen’s mooncakes three years ago for the first time in jail. At that time, he and other inmates longed for the distribution of Zen's mooncakes.

Zen said that the activity this year was planned to be the same as every other year. He speculates that the reason behind why the the government rejected him was due to the mentioning by Joshua Wong,
Secretary-General of the now disbanded Demosisto, and pro-democracy lawmaker Bottle Shiu Ka-Chun, who is also a social worker.

Source: HKC News #Sept2
https://www.hkcnews.com/article/33523/%E9%99%B3%E6%97%A5%E5%90%9B-%E6%87%B2%E6%95%99%E7%BD%B2-%E6%9C%88%E9%A4%85-33523/%E6%9C%88%E9%A4%85h

#CSD #MoonCake #JoshuaWong #ShiuKaChun #JosephZen #CatholicDioceseHongKong #Cardinal
#WhiteTerror #FreedomofReligion
Cardinal Joseph Zen appears in court in Hong Kong on day of prayer for China

Ninety-year-old retired Catholic cardinal #JosephZen hosted a packed mass in Hong Kong on the World Day of Prayer for the Church in China, just hours after a brief court hearing over charges linked to pro-democracy protests.

In his homily after pleading not guilty to charges of failing to register a pro-democracy association to Hong Kong Police, Zen chose not to speak about his legal case, but to highlight how Catholics in some parts of China cannot attend Mass right now — for they have no freedom now.

Zen dedicated the mass to churches in China where believers are still split between a so-called “underground” church resistant to the government, and a state-sanctioned church belonging to the Chinese Communist Party’s Patriotic Catholic Association.

In his remarks at Mass, Zen again criticised the deal between China and the #Vatican that allows Beijing to nominate bishops for the pope’s approval, calling it “unwise” despite being made with “good intention”.

"There is an urge to unify those above the ground and those underground but it seems that time is not ripe yet,” Zen said.

Implying that there may be more difficult times ahead, Zen said that “we may have to bear some pain and steel ourselves for our loyalty to our faith.”

He also dedicated prayers to churches in Myanmar led by #CardinalBo, his most outspoken supporter in Asia, as well as “brothers and sisters who cannot join tonight because they are not free”.

Zen, one of Asia’s highest-ranking Catholic clerics, was among five prominent democracy advocates — including activist and singer #DeniseHo and veteran human rights barrister #MargaretNg — who were arrested in early May. His arrest is part of a national security police probe into foreign collusion over a legal support fund for pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong.

Instead, all five of the fund’s former trustees and its secretary were charged on May 24 with failing to register it as a “society” with police — a non-national security offence. All plead not guilty.

#NationalSecurityLaw #PoliceState #PoliticalProsecution #Oppression

Image source: #FirstHand
Sources: Reuters, HKFP, UCA News; #May25
https://www.reuters.com/world/china/hong-kong-catholic-cardinal-criticises-china-deal-after-national-security-arrest-2022-05-24/

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German Cardinal Gerhard Muller has expressed dismay over the Vatican’s silence on China’s abuses and an imminent "unfair" trial against Hong Kong’s outspoken Cardinal #JosephZen during the recent consistory.

“Cardinal Zen was absent in Rome because he is under house arrest for raising his voice against Beijing, defending human rights both in Hong Kong and China,” said Cardinal Muller.

During the consistory, Cardinal Muller said that no senior Vatican official or even the pope mentioned Cardinal Zen or his trial.

 “There will be an unfair trial next month. Nobody has raised the grave question of our brother Zen.

Cardinal Muller further mentioned that there are obviously “political reasons” for the Holy See that prevent it from taking any initiative in support of Cardinal Zen.

Read full article
https://www.ucanews.com/news/vatican-should-not-sacrifice-cardinal-zen-for-china/98639

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https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/32789?single
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