The European Parliament has called on the Vatican “to give full support to Cardinal Zen” and told the Holy See it should “strengthen its diplomatic efforts and its leverage on the Chinese authorities”.
In a resolution passed on July 7, the parliament condemned the arrest of the 90-year-old former bishop of Hong Kong by Chinese authorities and demanded that all charges against him be dropped.
Cardinal Zen was charged in a Hong Kong court on May 24 with four other prominent democracy advocates who were all trustees of the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund, which helped pro-democracy protesters to pay their legal fees.
In the non-binding resolution passed on Thursday, the EU parliament decried the arrest of Zen as “an attack on the freedoms guaranteed in the Hong Kong Basic Law, including the freedom of religion or belief”.
The resolution also recognized the cardinal as a leading advocate for democracy in Hong Kong and instructed the president of the European Parliament, Maltese Catholic Roberta Metsola, to communicate the resolution to the Holy See as well as other institutions.
“The European Parliament has stood and still stands and will continue to stand with Hong Kong. This parliament continues to actively show solidarity with Hong Kong democrats and against Chinese communist oppression,” said Reinhard Buetikofer, the leader of the European Parliament’s China delegation according to the South China Morning Post.
Zen was arrested by the authorities in Hong Kong on May 11 and was released on bail later on the same day. He has pleaded not guilty to charges of failing to register a pro-democracy association.
The day after Zen’s arrest by Hong Kong authorities, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said he hoped that the cardinal’s arrest would not complicate the Holy See’s dialogue with China.
Zen has strongly criticized the Holy See’s provisional agreement on the appointment of bishops with Beijing.
Human rights advocates this week voiced concerns after Pope Francis said the agreement was “moving well” and should be renewed.
On May 24, the World Day of Prayer for the Church in China, Zen said that the Holy See “made an unwise decision” to enter into a provisional agreement with the Chinese Communist Party government when it did.
“Martyrdom is normal in our Church,” Zen said. “We may not have to do that, but we may have to bear some pain and steel ourselves for our loyalty to our faith.”
The trial against Zen and other arrested citizens is scheduled to begin on September 19.
The above comes from a July 8 posting on Catholic Word Report.
So timely as the Church celebrates the Good Samaritan gospel reading. Embarrassing for Francis , the pope of sea rescue with a life vest on a cross to be cast in the image of the priest who walked by the battered victim
I get what you mean, but you used the wrong word. The Church did not “celebrate” the Good Samaritan Gospel reading. The Church proclaimed that reading today when it celebrated Mass.
Let’s see who he who he supports, the good Cardinal or the Communists. Or will get the famous Francis ambiguity?
Though I’m often not impressed by the European Union, how is it that they see the situation in China more clearly than the Vatican?
And, when is “the most transparent Vatican in history,” promised by Pope Francis in 2015, going to make the secret deal with the Communist Chinese, negotiated by the predator former-Cardinal McCarrick, public?
Who am I to judge the Communist Chinese?
You had better have good judgment in regards to the Chinese Communists! They are extremely dangerous! No time for mis-reading Christ’s words! Christ had excellent, Divine judgment, and always spoke the Truth. That is why His enemies captured and killed Him. They felt “judged” by Him, as He told them the uncomfortable Truth.
Pretty amazing. The EU supporting a conservative, anti Chi-Com Catholic prelate? The American media has been ‘de-pantsed’….again…
The EU is anti China because the Global American Empire (of which the EU is a satrap) told them to be. Gonna be a cold and dark winter in Germany.
It is my understanding that the pope has refused to receive C. Zen in audience. If this understanding is wrong, I will gladly be corrected. But if it is right, how ironic that it takes the EU to try to shake the pope to his senses when he should have acted at the first request of Zen for an audience. As for JD’s question, I vote for ambiguity, as I think Francis is satisfied with the accord struck by the criminal McCarrick.
How utterly sad that all that comes out of the Vatican is concern over whether this situation may hamper the Pope’s dialogue with the Communists!!!
To quote Jack Nicklaus, “You want the truth? You can’t handle the truth!”
I think you meant to quote Jack Nicholson. Jack Nicklaus was a golfer.
I am heart-broken for poor Cardinal Zen, Jimmy Lai, and the others convicted with Cardinal Zen!