HONG KONG (SE/KKP): “After ordination, I had a chance to study fundamental theology. This theological approach emphasises the need to proclaim our faith in a way that people can easily understand rather than in a dogmatic manner. This can help respond to the needs of Church life in Hong Kong today,” said vicar general, Father Peter Choy Wai-man, in an interview with Kung Kao Po, published on May 15.
The vicar general said the changes that the Church and society have undergone in recent years have constantly made it necessary for the faithful to ask themselves what they believe and how they can put into practice what has been learned and move the Church forward in a pluralistic society. Besides, he believes dialogue and conversation are fundamental for preaching today.
Father Choy was ordained to the priesthood in 1986 and went to Italy the following year to pursue a master’s degree and doctorate in Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. After completing his studies, he returned to Hong Kong and taught at the Holy Spirit Seminary College of Theology and Philosophy, where he helped the students develop a sense of mission to serve the Church. In recent years, the vicar general has promoted lay formation programmes, helping the laity proclaim their faith in a lively and powerful way.
Father Choy is also the chairperson of the Hong Kong Catholic Board of Communications, which coordinates the media and catechetical formation of the diocese. One of its upcoming projects is an e-book platform, scheduled to be launched by the Catholic Truth Society in the middle of this year, that would allow people to download books about faith anytime and anywhere. “Responding to the needs of young people, we hope to encourage more people to read books,” he said, adding, “There is no large digital platform for religious e-books yet in Hong Kong. We hope to use this platform as a starting point to share Catholic books first, and then see if we can promote books of other Christian denominations and expand it step by step.”
The traditional form of mission is top-down, with the Church is supposed to provide workforce and resources for its subordinate organisations. However, in Following Thy Way, it is the laypeople who are committed to serving and looked for resources themselves
Books of diversified genres will also be made available to equip the laity to face various societal issues.
Father Choy said that besides using different formats, the communication tools of the diocese need to be supported by the content of the formation, so the people involved must master the knowledge of the faith and continue to be equipped for the work of formation. This is the objective of the laity formation programme of the Holy Spirit Seminary College of Theology and Philosophy. It aims to help the laity develop various ministries and build a solid foundation for formation work.
In April this year, the diocese set up an ad-hoc working group to establish a Ministry of the Catechists. During its two-year term, the 22-member working group, led by the vicar general, is to consult and study the establishment of the catechetical ministry and propose a direction of development. The diocese is acting in response to Pope Francis’ call to establish the ministry in all the dioceses.
Many laypeople volunteer to serve as catechists, but few are committed to serving for the long term. Father Choy said the diocese plans to assign at least two catechists to every parish to help them set up continuous catechism classes.
Father Choy had set up an ad-hoc group years ago with some laypeople to help preserve historical churches in Sai Kung, which has now become the Diocesan Working Committee for Following Thy Way, led by the vicar-general. Its mission is to build a cultural pathway in Sai Kung for spiritual retreat and pilgrimage.
Responding to the needs of young people, we hope to encourage more people to read books… There is no large digital platform for religious e-books yet in Hong Kong. We hope to use this platform as a starting point to share Catholic books first, and then see if we can promote books of other Christian denominations and expand it step by step
“The traditional form of mission is top-down, with the Church is supposed to provide workforce and resources for its subordinate organisations. However, in Following Thy Way, it is the laypeople who are committed to serving and looked for resources themselves,” he said.
Besides leading the team in doing research, development and conservation work, he also walked with the team members deep into the old Sai Kung paths to carry out conservation work and lead spiritual formation activities. He recalls that the longest journey was to the beautiful and excluded village in Shum Chung, which took six hours.
“The activities of the Following Thy Way are both religious and educational, instead of hiking for fun. We tried to slow down our pace, appreciate the beauty of the grass and trees and the changes of the four seasons, took care of each other and deepen our friendship along the way,” he said.
Father Choy cherishes the cooperative spirit among team members in every aspect of his work. “For example, the lay members and I work together in equality in Following Thy Way. It is a team of like-minded people, with different duties carried out in transparency to work for our dreams in the simplest structure,” he said.
As the commission’s chairperson for the Ongoing Formation of the Laity, Father Choy collaborates with the diocesan formation teams on the direction of formation and promotes related work. He hopes that the laity, whether through the formation programmes of the Holy Spirit Seminary College of Theology and Philosophy or others, will contribute to their parish with their strengths and actively proclaim the Good News.
