HONG KONG (SE): The challenges faced by the Church in Hong Kong, mainland China and Macau were discussed in a recent clergy study camp which took place in the Holy Spirit Seminary, Aberdeen, from January 7 to 9. Speakers at the same time look at the chances which can come in the wake of the challenges caused by social, economic, educational and Church developments.
On January 8, Kuan Hsin-chi, a retired professor of Government and Public Administration at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, made an analysis of the political and economic situation in Hong Kong and China. He said the people of Hong Kong need to understand that they only account for a small amount of the 67 million population of the Greater Bay Area.
He said Hong Kong is unique in the region as it acts as a bridge to the world and it has religious freedom. At the same time, he believes the city is also affected by the tightening control of Beijing and by the Sino-Vatican relationship.
Kwan said while joining people from Guangdong and Macau, Hong Kong Church people should make adjustments with humility.
He also pointed out that the new generation has taken active part in politics and many of them put their priorities over the core values of Hong Kong as well as over material gain. They demand freedom without being manipulated. Their concerns are different from that of the older generations who want peace, stability and economic development.
He said the Church in China, while facing restraints in its activities, should put more emphasis on social services which can help its development. He pointed out for instance, that as mainland families face a lot of challenges, the Church can provide more counselling services to relieve the social problems there.
Father Bruno Lepeu of the Paris Foreign Missions, a researcher at the Holy Spirit Study Centre, looked into the urbanisation issue in mainland China, which has helped the churches in towns to grow. For example, young people in Guangzhou set up faith communities on their own initiative, while more people from Africa seeking greener pastures in China have joined Church activities. Religious people now also have better theological training.
On the other hand, churches in rural areas may decline as young people migrate to town and only the old people remain.
He stressed that communications between Hong Kong and people in the mainland Church should be done with mutual respect and with an intention of understanding each other better.
Annie Lam Shun-wai, another researcher at the Holy Spirit Study Centre, said there are points to learn from the mainland Church, such as its focus on Biblical formation. She also observed that people on the mainland have shown increasing concern for the situation of the Hong Kong Church as well as the city itself.
John Cardinal Tong Hon said the strength of the Hong Kong Church is the strong formation of the faithful. He recalled that the local Church used to send priests overseas for training and that now, Church people from China also come to Hong Kong for training so that they can share their experiences back home.
Father Peter Choy Wai-man, chairperson of the Commission for Ongoing Formation of the Clergy, pointed out that the planning to develop the Greater Bay Area may affect the lives of Hong Kong people, so he hopes that participants can think more about the chances and crisis that the Church may come across in view of the plan.
As for lay formation, he said the Hong Kong Church has offered different kinds of formation, such as short-term courses and distance programmes, and the laity of the mainland are welcome to take part. He believes the exchange of formation resources can be made more systemic with more communications within the region.
Federick Lai Wing-hoi, deputy director of Caritas Social Work Services, shared during a session on January 7 that Caritas established a special school for the mentally-disadvantaged in cooperation with Huiling, a charity group in Guangzhou, in the early 1980s. Also every summer, social work students from the mainland come to Hong Kong to join an intern programme.
He said Caritas-Hong Kong may act as an advisor for the social services in Macau.
Lai added that, while many Hong Kong people may choose to lead their retired life in Guangdong and they may need social services for the elderly, it is hard for Hong Kong non-government organisations to offer related services on the mainland due to legal problems and the strict application procedures.
