HONG KONG (SE): Bishop Stephen Chow Sau Yan, SJ, of Hong Kong was invited to make an unofficial visit to Rome in early March, Vatican News reported. During a meeting with Pope Francis, Bishop Chow suggested the Holy Father to give his blessing to the Church in China and in Hong Kong in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic and the pope agreed.
Pope Francis’ blessing for Hong Kong, delivered in Italian, is translated in English below:
To you, brothers and sisters of Hong Kong, I give you my greetings! I am here with your Bishop. I send you my blessing; I wish you all the best; I wish you are good citizens that you are courageous in the face of the challenges of time!
Above all, I am thinking of many of you who have suffered from the COVID pandemic, I am close to you! This pandemic has killed so many people all over the world and also in your city, I am close to you! I will pray for you, and you, please pray for me!
I bless you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit! Continue to go forward with the love to the Lord Jesus Christ and his holy Mother, Our Lady.
Pray for me, bye-bye.
