HONG KONG (SE): Two days after his episcopal ordination and installation as the ninth bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong, Bishop Stephen Chow Sau Yan, SJ hosted a reception for civic and religious leaders, around 30 members of the diplomatic corps, government officers, educators and heads of the religious institutes in Hong Kong, on the afternoon of December 6 at Caritas Hall, Caine Road.
Bishop emeritus Joseph Cardinal Zen Ze-kiun, bishop emeritus John Cardinal Tong Hon, Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing, Monsignor Javier Herrera Corona from the Holy See Study Mission, were also present.
Addressing the gathering, Bishop Chow said, “My personal destiny is now intricately woven with the destiny of this diocese and that of this dear city of ours, my beloved hometown: a city, which many of us call our home and, for some of you, a home away from home. A home is for us to belong to, to feel safe in it, and hopefully, to be ever thankful for and be proud of it.”
Such a life-giving future cannot be realised without that being our collective desires, that we go out of our way to join the others or making it possible for the others to join us
Bishop Stephen Chow
Seeking everyone’s prayers for his ministry, Bishop Chow said, “I pray that God will use me as his channel for bridging between parties, approaching truth, fostering unity in plurality, promoting reconciliation, compassion, shared vision, and that I will learn to discern and collaborate with God for God’s greater glory.”
Quoting a book by Rutger Bregman, Humankind: A Hopeful History, Bishop Chow said that despite the despair and polarisation visible in the lives of people, history has shown that humankind in general has become more open, helpful even to the point of being altruistic.
He expressed his conviction that the present miseries and pains will not last long. “We all need this to construct a better future together,” he said, adding that, “Such a life-giving future cannot be realised without that being our collective desires, that we go out of our way to join the others or making it possible for the others to join us.”
He concluded his message with a prayer that “these genuine desires for a promising future for all bring us ever closer together. Amen!”
