John Tong: the low-key Hong Kong cardinal seeking better ties with Beijing
The leader of city’s 389,000 Catholics made it clear that his approach would be different from that of his predecessor, pan-democrat Joseph Zen
Compared with his predecessor, Cardinal John Tong Hon was a relatively low-profile bishop during his eight years as leader of 389,000 Catholics in Hong Kong.
But commentators expect him to be remembered as a priest who supported and probably played a role in efforts by the Vatican and Beijing to secure a breakthrough in bilateral ties.
Even before Tong took the helm in 2009, pundits and academics regarded his challenges as tough. That was because during Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun’s seven years as bishop, the senior priest had established his status as a pro-democracy stalwart highly respected by pan-democratic groups.
Tong was never coy to comment on the difference between him and Zen, as he said – shortly after his appointment – that while the church would continue to care for the underprivileged, the way he would put his teachings into action “might be a little bit different” from those of his predecessors.
Shortly after he was anointed a cardinal by Pope Benedict in the Vatican in February 2012, he criticised the Hong Kong government for using the principle “market leads, government facilitates” as an excuse to shirk its duties to safeguard the well-being of its people.
