HONG KONG (SE): “After our visit to the Diocese of Beijing, we hope to continue with this journey of synodality, not only by human efforts but also through urging of the Holy Spirit; by relying on the Holy Spirit that unites… We need to journey with one another with good intentions, and this is a good start. It is a long road ahead, and we need to continue to discern,” Bishop Chow Sau Yan, SJ, said, expressing his gratitude to the Diocese of Beijing for its sincere exchange with the Diocese of Hong Kong. He also hopes that the two dioceses will continue to walk together with mutual love and complementarity.
Bishop Chow, Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-Shing and vicar general, Father Peter Choy Wai-man, visited the diocese from April 17 to 21 at the invitation of Bishop Joseph Li Shan of Beijing. This was the first official visit by a bishop of Hong Kong to the Diocese of Beijing since John Baptist Cardinal Wu Cheng-chung in 1994.
The spirit of searching for roots and walking with each other permeated the entire trip. The bishops and priests of both places traced the roots of the Church in China by remembering Venerable Father Matteo Ricci’s missionary example.
During the exchange, Bishop Chow and Bishop Li presented each other with a calligraphy work on which they coincidentally wrote in Chinese the theme of the Synod of Bishops on synodality. The calligraphy from Beijing had the characters 同道偕行 [walking together on the same path] while the one from Hong Kong read 共議同行 [conversing and journeying together], testifying to their active implementation of the spirit of synodality promoted by Pope Francis through mutual encouragement.
Upon his return to Hong Kong, Bishop Chow expressed his hope for the Diocese of Hong Kong and dioceses in mainland China to establish long-term relationships to learn from and complement each other. Bishop Li responded positively to an invitation to visit Hong Kong while inviting Bishop Chow to visit other dioceses in the mainland.
The visit to Beijing began with a prayer service for the beatification of the Venerable Father Matteo Ricci at the Cathedral of the Most Holy Saviour [North Church] on April 17, during which the choir members, dressed in Han costume, led participants in prayer for the Church in China, through the intercession of Father Ricci. On the morning of April 19, the group paid tribute at the tomb of Father Ricci and other missionaries.
“As a Jesuit and bishop of the Diocese of Hong Kong, I stood in awe at the graves of Father Ricci and other brother Jesuits. Our predecessors paved the way for us in difficult times, so those who come after will feel that they should be more committed,” Bishop Chow said, adding that Father Ricci’s first book written in Chinese, Jiaoyou Lun [On Friendship], encouraged sincere and equal relationships among people and that this attitude of valuing interpersonal relationships rather than just focusing on the status of the other person is still the desirable attitude for mission today.
Bishop Ha remarked, “In the past, Father Ricci gave his all, which is like the boy in the story of the five loaves and two fishes—now we are also giving through our trip to Beijing. Although the immediate effect may not be much, it is a start, urging us to discern God’s will more keenly, to see the needs of our brothers and sisters and to take the pulse of the Church for better evangelisation.”
On April 18 and 19, Bishop Chow and his delegation visited the two seminaries in Beijing. With many priests and religious sisters from mainland China obtaining qualifications in theology and philosophy overseas, the seminaries already have a good number of teachers.
According to Father Choy, who has been a professor of theology for many years, the churches in Hong Kong and Beijing are going through a process of synodality in terms of formation and pastoral situations, which requires them to return to their beginner’s minds, so that they can respond to society’s challenges and needs. Having experience with the Universal Church, the Diocese of Hong Kong can make valuable contributions to the Church in mainland China. “As we move forward, we cannot ignore our common roots in China,” he said.
During the visit, priests and religious sisters in China were eager to introduce the Catholic cultural heritage there. Father Choy noted, “They are familiar with the history of the local church and have a deep awareness of the importance of passing on the legacy. So religious people in Hong Kong can learn from them and journey with them, and intellectuals who admire the culture of Christian faith can also be our partners.”
In his homily at the Mass in the cathedral in Beijing on April 20, Bishop Chow said, “Pope Francis has encouraged the Church to follow the path of synodality so that members of the Church can learn to listen to one another and, more importantly, to learn to listen to the Holy Spirit as he leads us the way, ask we discern and follow.”
Bishop Chow spoke of the importance of loving our country at the Mass held on April 21 at St. Joseph’s Church in Wangfujing [East Church] in Beijing. Afterwards, to the queries of the media, he responded that people should love their country.
Bishop Chow explained that Catholic teaching affirms the duty of loving one’s country: “It is the duty of the faithful to make society better, to be law-abiding, to live justice… The most important resource of the state and the Church is its people, and to love the country is to love the people. Facing China, the Catholic Church loves the people of the mainland and Hong Kong. We also want the government to improve and give a listening ear for dialogue.” He stressed that this love for our compatriots has long existed in the hearts of Hong Kong people, not only through their enthusiasm for disaster relief but also through their dedication and service. [His article, Loving Our Country or What? on this page explains this further.]
During his visit, Bishop Chow met with the faithful in the North, South and East Churches after celebrating Mass. He said he was not used to the faithful kneeling down and kissing his episcopal ring, but he was moved by the fact that “this is an expression of their desire for the communion with the universal Church” and that “the religious affection of mainland Catholics is very deep.”
“Compared to Hong Kong Catholics, they have less opportunity to study theology, but this affection helps them overcome challenges and difficulties.” He said, “If Hong Kong Catholics can deepen their learning with religious affection, it will be complementary.”
The bishop and his team are grateful for prayers and support offered to them for the visit.
