On September 23, the diocese commemorates the 20th death anniversary of Cardinal John Baptist Wu Cheng-chung, the fifth bishop of Hong Kong who served the diocese for 27 years. The cardinal’s mortal remains interred at St Michael’s Cemetry, Hong Kong, were moved to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on September 28, in the presence of numerous clergy.
Bishop Stephen Chow, sj, will preside at a concelebrated Mass at the Cathedral, Caine Road, on 4 October 2022 at 3.00pm to commemorate the death anniversary of the cardinal.
This issue of the Sunday Examiner pays tribute to Cardinal Wu, recalling his life and mission through two articles by Father Sergio Ticozzi of the The Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions [PIME]
By Father Sergio Ticozzi,PIME
The choice of Reverend John Baptist Wu Cheng-Chung as bishop of Hong Kong in 1975 caused some negative reactions locally, since he was coming from Taiwan and was considered an “outsider”; some of the clergy wanted a local as bishop. Taking over the diocese without the full support of the clergy was a strong challenge for the bishop. This, together with some bad experiences [the event of the Jubilee School in 1978], as well as the difficult challenges of the political situation in Hong Kong and, later, the health worries burdened his heart throughout his time in office.
However, Bishop Wu could meet all the challenges in a positive and calm way, keeping a low profile and avoiding the limelight, since he was a humble man living a simple life. In fact, under his leadership, the diocese underwent significant changes and reform.
He paid special attention to the diocesan administration, in cooperation with and through consultation with many people. In March 1979 he raised all the New Territories districts and the urban rectories to parish status. In October 1985 the three Zonal Bishops Delegates were replaced by three Episcopal Vicars, turning the territorial divisions into vicariates.
On 14 May 1989, Cardinal Wu [elevated by Pope St. John Paul II in 1988] issued the pastoral letter, March into the Bright Decade: on the Pastoral Commitment of the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong. It was based upon on nearly 12,000 consultation responses from Catholics and provided the pastoral guidelines, “directions and objectives for the next decade,” to the Catholic community in order to improve the preparation to Hong Kong’s return to mainland China.
In 1990, a plan for the reorganisation of the diocese was undertaken with the Council of Priests and a mixed group of religious and laypeople. In June 1992 the plan was announced and explained to the Catholic community. Consequently, on 8 December 1992, the existing three vicariates and the related offices of vicars general were substituted, respectively, by nine deaneries, and two new offices of episcopal vicar for Religious and an episcopal vicar for Social Services were established. The Council of Priest and the Diocesan Pastoral Council also were reorganised.
Meanwhile, the celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the Catholic presence in Hong Kong, were ongoing and concluded at the Hong Kong Stadium on 20 October 1991.
On 4 June 1995, Cardinal Wu issued the pastoral exhortation, Proclaim the Gospel and Spread the Kingdom of God, to report an evaluation of the implementation of the guidelines of the March into a Bright Decade. He proposed for the coming five years to continue the emphasis on the two basic orientations that had dominated the life of the Church during the preceding years: namely, carrying on commitments in different sectors of the diocesan services and the implementation of the “bridge role and mission of reconciliation” with the Church in China. The Holy Father and Hong Kong’s geographical position commended this role and mission to the Church in Hong Kong.
On 20 October 1996, at the end of the celebration of Mission Sunday, Cardinal Wu announced the appointment of Father Joseph Zen Ze-Kun as coadjutor bishop and of Father John Tong Hon as auxiliary bishop. Their episcopal ordination was celebrated on December 9 that year.
On 1 October 1999, Cardinal Wu convoked a Diocesan Synod for the year 2000 to 2001 aiming to evaluate the pastoral care needs and the future perspectives of evangelisation in the diocese at the start of the third millennium. The synod opened on 4 March 2000 with its first plenary assembly of 200 participants divided into seven groups: formation of laity and lay ministry, youth ministry, social concern, evangelisation, marriage and family life, education and culture, vocation promotion and ongoing formation of the clergy.
The synod’s work lasted until the end of 2001. On the feast of the Nativity of Our Lady 2002, the Cardinal issued the pastoral letter, Love Life, Gift of God, summarising the 10 priorities recommended by the synod in line with the topics discussed and to appoint a Monitor Committee to watch the pace of the implementation of the conclusions.
During all those years, however, Hong Kong’s dramatic social and political changes, which started during the 1980s, could not but draw the full concern of then-Bishop Wu. The issue of the future of the territory was laid on the negotiation table of Great Britain and China. It culminated in the Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984. Bishop Wu guided the Church in Hong Kong to face these new circumstances, and the urgency of the preparation for the future, with courage and farsightedness.
He made a series of interventions, starting with the Declaration of the Catholic Church on the future of Hong Kong [15 August 1984] in order to clarify the Catholic position and expectations before the signing of the Joint Declaration. Other interventions followed, exhorting the Catholic community to study the Joint Declaration and to take an active part in the elections that were going on.
His method of leadership was discreet and, for the most part, he sought to avoid conflict. On the few exceptional occasions when he did speak out, everyone took notice.
The 1989 pastoral letter, March Toward the Bright Decade, emphasised the necessity of maturing faith by living the Christian mission and by experiencing communion mainly within “small communities of faith.” To deal with the fear and mistrust of many among Hong Kong people who were keen on leaving the colony and emigrating, Catholic authorities tried to foster a greater involvement and a more direct participation in public affairs and in socio-political issues.
Other guidelines were issued on 15 August 1995, exhorting parishes and institutions to organise talks and seminars on social teaching of the Church, on the political system of Hong Kong, and on social analysis. During the second half of 1996, further guidelines were provided for participation in the Selection Committee of the Chief Executive and the Temporary Legislature.
On the handover day, 1 July 1997, the Catholic community celebrated the event with a solemn concelebration at the cathedral and with Eucharistic adoration in the parishes.
Moreover, there were other challenges Cardinal Wu had to meet, namely the large influx of workers from the Philippines [mainly as domestic helpers] and the numerous waves of refugees from Vietnam—the Boat People. Cardinal Wu and the Catholic authorities tried their best to provide the Filipino nationals with adequate spiritual assistance and pastoral services, and the Vietnamese with a decent and stable settlement.
For most of his 27 years as bishop, Cardinal Wu did not comment politically on social and political issues, leaving that role to Catholic groups… which spoke out with his full support. His method of leadership was discreet and, for the most part, he sought to avoid conflict. On the few exceptional occasions when he did speak out, everyone took notice. The cardinal condemned the colonial government for its treatment of the Vietnamese people in 1989 and criticised the new HKSAR government over the right of abode issue in 1998.
