Hong Kong’s Catholic Diocese has axed a vigil in remembrance of the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown for a third consecutive year.
The Hong Kong Catholic Social Communication Office told HKFP it had instead held a service to pray for the Catholic church in China, and the country itself, more than a week ago.
Separately, Cardinal Stephen Chow last Thursday wrote a prayer published in the Sunday Examiner and the Kung Kau Po, weekly newspapers owned and operated by the city’s Diocese, calling for “forgiveness” days ahead of the 35th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown.
The 1989 crackdown ended months of student-led demonstrations in China. It is estimated that hundreds, perhaps thousands, died when the People’s Liberation Army dispersed protesters in Beijing.
Cancelled since 2022
The Diocese on Saturday said in an emailed reply to HKFP: “On May 24 of every year, the liturgical Memorial of our Lady, Help of Christians (observed as an obligatory memorial in our Diocese) is also a special occasion for Catholics worldwide to pray for the Church in China and China. This is also an action for the Universal Church to follow.”
The Diocese did not organise a memorial mass last year. The diocese cancelled the June 4 mass in 2022, for the first time in more than 30 years, citing concerns over a potential breach of the Beijing-imposed national security law.
“Since frontline workers and some members of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Catholic Church are concerned that holding these events would violate the national security law, memorial masses for June 4 will not be held,” the church told local media.
The mass was held at seven Catholic churches in 2021, including one hosted by Cardinal Joseph Zen, who also attended the mass for the Chinese church last month, according to the Sunday Examiner.
Zen and four others are set to appeal their convictions linked to the now-defunct 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund, which provided legal, medical and financial assistance to people arrested during the 2019 protests and unrest.
‘Forgiveness’
Cardinal Chow on Thursday said only through forgiveness would people be able to heal from events that took place “35 years ago in the capital city,” apparently referring to the 1989 crackdown.
“What happened 35 years ago has left a deep wound in parts of our psyche, though it has been buried and scarred over… However, this does not mean I can forget what I saw and felt ever so deeply on that night and the following weeks. Even though my memories are no longer vivid, my heart has feelings that remain alive, particularly around this time of the year,” Chow wrote.
“My faith, nonetheless, prompts me to forgive whoever and whatever. Maybe it is through forgiveness that the different parties can move beyond finger pointing and the painful ‘I will never forgive’ mindset. With forgiveness already available, reconciliation and healing may stand a better chance of becoming a reality,” he added.
In 2021, Chow said the Catholic church would maintain its usual position of “passive cooperation” in the city’s politics. “We respect our church members’ political opinions,” Chow said.
In 2019, the diocese issued an appeal to the Hong Kong government not to rush through a controversial amendment to the city’s extradition bill without adequately addressing concerns raised by the legal sector and the general public.
Beijing inserted national security legislation directly into Hong Kong’s mini-constitution in June 2020 following a year of pro-democracy protests and unrest. It criminalised subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces and terrorist acts – broadly defined to include disruption to transport and other infrastructure. The move gave police sweeping new powers and led to hundreds of arrests amid new legal precedents, while dozens of civil society groups disappeared. The authorities say it restored stability and peace to the city, rejecting criticism from trade partners, the UN and NGOs.
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