HONG KONG (SE/KKP): The diocese held a Study Camp for Clergy from January 4 to 6 at the Holy Spirit Seminary under the theme of Unity in Plurality to underscore the importance of communicating and listening as a way to bear witness to God in Church and in society.
On January 4, Bishop Stephen Chow Sau Yan sj explained that the theme stressed the need for every member of the clergy to promote unity in plurality to respond to the Church’s mission in modern society and to live out the spirit of synodality.
Bishop Chow pointed out the need for the Church to promote plurality, and respect uniqueness and differences, which is also the principle encouraged through his coat of arms. But at the same time, the Church has to clearly distinguish between right and wrong. He said that “pluralism” is not the same as “relativism.”
The bishop said, “In pluralism, one must still have one’s own position. If one changes one’s position in response to the times, it does not help communication.” He said, “The peaceful coexistence of religions can contribute to world peace, which is why religious groups need to cooperate with one another.”
He added that the pastoral work of the local Church has faced many challenges over the past two years and that both the clergy and laity should promote dialogue and cooperation to bear witness to “unity in plurality” which can help evangelisation.
Besides walking with the laity, clergy must constantly reflect on how to care about more people’
Bishop Chow
“What the world needs most is mercy, and Pope Francis declared the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy a few years ago to allow the Church to heal people’s wounds amidst the many accusations and divisions,” he said.
The bishop compared the Church to a war hospital that does not serve in comfortable situations, but in the midst of chaos and change.
“A shepherd should have the smell of the sheep so that he will be gladly accepted by them,” Bishop Chow said. He also emphasised that a Church leader needs to have a gentle yoke to comfort others with compassion.
With the Church preparing for the World Synod of Bishops, he pointed out that the spirit of synodality is in line with the principle of unity in plurality.
“Besides walking with the laity, clergy must constantly reflect on how to care about more people,” the bishop added.
The three-day camp included talks on different topics such as how music can help to achieve harmony and unity, the impact of social movements on families and the difficulties of migrants. Parishioners, educators, pastoral workers for foreign domestic workers and refugees also shared their experiences.
Vicar general, Father Peter Choy Wai-man, chairperson of the Commission for Ongoing Formation of Clergy, said that the social movement in recent years and the Covid-19 pandemic have, to some extent, distanced people from one another, which makes it even more necessary to build up unity in plurality.
Father Fabio Favata, a member of the commission, said that to encourage the laity to speak up in synodality, the clergy first needs to openly share their views among themselves.
Father Favata, a psychologist, recalled that he once had some hesitation before sharing his own weaknesses in a programme, but after he overcame the difficulty and finally shared, the laity became more willing to share their experiences with him.
Father Fructuoso Lopez Martin, president of the Diocesan Youth Pastoral Commission, said that the pandemic had hindered youth pastoral work and that he hoped to unite young Catholics of different nationalities in the future
Father Joseph Liu Ah-lun, the spiritual director of the Central Council of Catholic Laity, said that social movements have brought conflict to some families and that he has received requests for help. He believes that priests need to help families build up a prayerful environment so that parents and children can be close to God and listen to one another.
Father Fructuoso Lopez Martin, president of the Diocesan Youth Pastoral Commission, said that the pandemic had hindered youth pastoral work and that he hoped to unite young Catholics of different nationalities in the future, for example, by creating more opportunities for exchange between English-speaking groups and the Chinese-speaking ones.
In the sharing session, the Catholic Mission School in Western District presented on the integration of different cultures at the school. According to its principal, Joyce Chung Oi-man, 20 per cent of the school’s students are non-Chinese speaking. The teachers respect student’s differences and allow them to learn in different languages. They have also translated the religious textbooks into English so that foreign students can learn about God.
The school has allowed teachers to design a school-based curriculum with a new mindset so that students from all over the world can adapt to the learning environment in Hong Kong. There are no rankings on examination results, but students are actively encouraged to learn from each other and to share.
Another speaker at the camp was Nathalia Widjaja, an Indonesian who formed the non-profit organisation, Peduli Kasih Hong Kong, with Catholic pastoral workers to provide spiritual care and counselling support to fellow Indonesians.
Widjaja shared that she also experienced racial discrimination in her early years so she is now actively involved in helping her country people who are experiencing difficulties. She said that Indonesia is already religiously and culturally diverse, with more than 700 local languages spoken in the country, but they are now united in Hong Kong.
She urged employers to show more care and concern for their foreign workers who can be under great pressure working far away from home.
Translated from an article in the Kung Kao Po
