Pope Francis Mentions the Prosecution of Xinjiang Uyghurs
The Chinese government sets up “Re-education Camps” in Xinjiang in recent years with masses detention of Uyghurs, drawing global attention to humanitarian issues. After years of demands from human rights defenders, Pope Francis firstly said the Xinjiang Uyghurs as “persecuted” people in his new book – Let Us Dream: The Path to A Better Future.
He mentioned Xinjiang Uyghurs in a chapter on the persecution of Christians in Islamic countries, “I occasionally think of the persecuted: Rohingya, poor Uyghurs and Yazidi.” Francis did mention about Rohingya fleeing Myanmar and Yazidi who is being killed in Islamic countries. This is his first time mentioned Uyghurs.
The United States Secretary of State Pompeo earlier criticized China on suppressing the Uyghurs in Xinjiang at the Vatican meeting. Yet, the Vatican has never spoken out on related issues. Some commentators think that the Vatican did not speak out for Uyghurs earlier to avoid affecting Sino-Vatican contract renewal negotiation.
Source from: The Stand News #Nov24
https://bit.ly/37xKKmZ
#Vatican #Pope #Francis #China #Pompeo #Uyghurs #Xinjiang #humanrights #prosecution #IslamicCountry
The Chinese government sets up “Re-education Camps” in Xinjiang in recent years with masses detention of Uyghurs, drawing global attention to humanitarian issues. After years of demands from human rights defenders, Pope Francis firstly said the Xinjiang Uyghurs as “persecuted” people in his new book – Let Us Dream: The Path to A Better Future.
He mentioned Xinjiang Uyghurs in a chapter on the persecution of Christians in Islamic countries, “I occasionally think of the persecuted: Rohingya, poor Uyghurs and Yazidi.” Francis did mention about Rohingya fleeing Myanmar and Yazidi who is being killed in Islamic countries. This is his first time mentioned Uyghurs.
The United States Secretary of State Pompeo earlier criticized China on suppressing the Uyghurs in Xinjiang at the Vatican meeting. Yet, the Vatican has never spoken out on related issues. Some commentators think that the Vatican did not speak out for Uyghurs earlier to avoid affecting Sino-Vatican contract renewal negotiation.
Source from: The Stand News #Nov24
https://bit.ly/37xKKmZ
#Vatican #Pope #Francis #China #Pompeo #Uyghurs #Xinjiang #humanrights #prosecution #IslamicCountry
Reuters: Two Nuns in Vatican’s HK-based Quasi-diplomatic Mission Arrested in Mainland China, Top Clergyman in the City Censors Protest from within the Church
A long investigative report published by Reuters on December 31 quotes a source as saying that that two nuns in an informal, Hong Kong-based diplomatic mission from the Vatican had been arrested on a visit to their hometowns in mainland China. The report says they were later placed under house arrest and prohibited from leaving the country. Some senior members of the Holy See consider the incident a sign that China wishes to have the mission closed, and top clergymen in Hong Kong believe Beijing is expanding its control over the diocese and even attempting to influence the selection of the next bishop.
The report also quotes four unnamed informed sources as saying that the current leader of the diocese and the apostolic administrator, Cardinal John Tong Hon, has been suppressing progressive voices in the church, including that coming from the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission. Last October, the diocese, headed by Cardinal Tang, censored a statement from the commission on Sino-Vatican relations, removing a part concerning the missing Bishop James Su Zhimin of mainland China’s underground church.
Source: The Stand News #Dec31
#Vatican #HongKong #China #CatholicChurch #Relgiion #ReligiousFreedom
https://bit.ly/3i8JdIN
A long investigative report published by Reuters on December 31 quotes a source as saying that that two nuns in an informal, Hong Kong-based diplomatic mission from the Vatican had been arrested on a visit to their hometowns in mainland China. The report says they were later placed under house arrest and prohibited from leaving the country. Some senior members of the Holy See consider the incident a sign that China wishes to have the mission closed, and top clergymen in Hong Kong believe Beijing is expanding its control over the diocese and even attempting to influence the selection of the next bishop.
The report also quotes four unnamed informed sources as saying that the current leader of the diocese and the apostolic administrator, Cardinal John Tong Hon, has been suppressing progressive voices in the church, including that coming from the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission. Last October, the diocese, headed by Cardinal Tang, censored a statement from the commission on Sino-Vatican relations, removing a part concerning the missing Bishop James Su Zhimin of mainland China’s underground church.
Source: The Stand News #Dec31
#Vatican #HongKong #China #CatholicChurch #Relgiion #ReligiousFreedom
https://bit.ly/3i8JdIN
The Pope Call On Catholics Worldwide To Pray Hard for Church in China
May 24 was proclaimed a "Day of Prayer for the Church in China". Pope Francis called on the Catholics throughout the world to pray for the church in China, after the Sunday Mass in the Vatican on May 23, amid arrest of clergy and tear down of church crosses in Hebei Province by hundreds of police. He indicated that believers in China are his deepest concern, and invite global Christian to pray for Chinese faithful, helping them to build justice and peace in their country.
Before the Pope's call, several Catholics clergy and believers in China, including Bishop Zhang Weizhu, was arrested for "organizing prayer activities". The Burmese Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, who previously denounced China for covering up the pandemic, had launched a prayer campaign on March 14 and called for a day of prayer for the Church in China. It aroused widespread response including US congressman, parliament members from UK, Canada, and other countries, as well as some US bishops. The activity has expanded on May and setup the "Global Prayer for China" page.
#ReligiousFreedom #China #Vatican #PopeFrancis #Catholics #CCP #PrayerDay
Source: Apple Daily #May24
https://hk.appledaily.com/china/20210524/C7YDPHB6FBE4JLC3GA4EHDUU4E/
May 24 was proclaimed a "Day of Prayer for the Church in China". Pope Francis called on the Catholics throughout the world to pray for the church in China, after the Sunday Mass in the Vatican on May 23, amid arrest of clergy and tear down of church crosses in Hebei Province by hundreds of police. He indicated that believers in China are his deepest concern, and invite global Christian to pray for Chinese faithful, helping them to build justice and peace in their country.
Before the Pope's call, several Catholics clergy and believers in China, including Bishop Zhang Weizhu, was arrested for "organizing prayer activities". The Burmese Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, who previously denounced China for covering up the pandemic, had launched a prayer campaign on March 14 and called for a day of prayer for the Church in China. It aroused widespread response including US congressman, parliament members from UK, Canada, and other countries, as well as some US bishops. The activity has expanded on May and setup the "Global Prayer for China" page.
#ReligiousFreedom #China #Vatican #PopeFrancis #Catholics #CCP #PrayerDay
Source: Apple Daily #May24
https://hk.appledaily.com/china/20210524/C7YDPHB6FBE4JLC3GA4EHDUU4E/
#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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https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/32764
612 Fund Trustees and Secretary Plead Not Guilty for "Non-registered organisation" Charge
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/32751
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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/
-----
Related News
Hong Kong Catholic group will not hold Tiananmen crackdown masses citing fears over national security law
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/32764
612 Fund Trustees and Secretary Plead Not Guilty for "Non-registered organisation" Charge
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/32751
.
Reuters
Hong Kong Catholic cardinal criticises China deal after national security arrest
Hong Kong's Cardinal Joseph Zen - in his first public remarks since he was arrested in a national security case earlier this month - on Tuesday criticised the Vatican for its "unwise" deal with China that is due for renewal in September.