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Cardinal Zen appeals to Pope to keep politics out of Hong Kong bishop decision

  • Zen says he delivered a letter to Rome last week but was unable to meet the pontiff
  • City has been without a bishop for more than a year

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Cardinal Joseph Zen visited Rome last week but was unable to meet the Pope. Photo: Facebook
Outspoken retired bishop Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun has made a personal appeal to Pope Francis, hand-delivering a letter to Rome urging him to leave politics out of the selection of Catholic bishops in Hong Kong.

Zen who is under residential quarantine in Hong Kong after returning from Rome last week said he was “a little disappointed” that he did not see the Pope in person because pandemic restrictions limited him to five days in the city.

“I waited for a few days for an opportunity to meet [the Pope]. He was busy so I didn’t expect he would receive me at last-minute notice. The most important thing is that I have hand-delivered my letter to his secretary to make sure it will reach his hands,” Zen told the South China Morning Post on Wednesday.

“I’m concerned that the Hong Kong diocese has been without a bishop for over a year and a half and the right appointment has yet to come forth. This is not fair to Hong Kong diocese and Cardinal [John] Tong who should have retired like me but has been serving as a replacement the entire time.”

Media reports suggested that Zen was not granted a meeting with the Pope because of the sensitivity of the timing – the Vatican is discussing with Beijing renewal of a provisional power-sharing agreement on the ordination of bishops in mainland China.
Earlier this week, the Pope also cancelled a planned meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, saying he did not want to appear partisan before November’s US presidential election.
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