Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

It has come to my notice that in several respects our Diocese has recently caused some queries and misunderstandings among the Church members and has also aroused some concerns on the part of the public and the media.  For this reason I see the need to make a few clarifications, as follows: 

First of all, on August 28, I sent out a letter to the priests and deacons working in our Diocese, with the aim of giving them some encouragement in connection with pastoral care.  I pointed out in particular that in face of the grave situation of the splitting up of Hong Kong society as a consequence of the social unrest last year, pastors, in their homilies (especially the Sunday homilies) should, on the one hand, keep abreast of the times and speak out for justice, and, on the other hand, avoid using slandering and abusive expressions that insinuate or instigate hatred and social disorder, inasmuch as they are against the Christian faith.  The purpose of the liturgy is to enable the faithful to experience through faith, “here and now”, the Mysteries of Salvation.  The homily, as such, is meant to communicate to the faithful the Word of God and its messages, so that, by putting them into practice, they can sanctify themselves and serve as the salt of the earth and the light of the world. 

Secondly, around the end of August, our Diocese decided that a fund-raising campaign organized by the Justice and Peace Commission with a subsequent public appeal for prayers for Hong Kong to be announced in a local newspaper should not carry on.  In this connection, I wish to reiterate the full support of our Diocese for prayers to be offered for Hong Kong.  Nevertheless, we must take note that any public fund-raising activity organized by the faithful, before being held, needs the prior approval of the Diocese.  Likewise, any prayer for public use must first be approved by the Diocese.  In arranging for the aforementioned activity, approval for both the manner of collecting the funds and the contents of the prayer had not been obtained beforehand, it was therefore not appropriate for the said activity to be held in the name of a diocesan office. 

Lastly, in response to the appeal of the Education Bureau, our Catholic Education Office in early August issued a circular to all Catholic primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong, reminding the school authorities to see to it that the students get to know the National Flag and National Emblem Ordinance, the National Anthem Ordinance and the National Security Law in Hong Kong, and that their sense of being law-abiding citizens be enhanced.  The circular also exhorted the teaching staff, in line  with professionalism, to adopt for their students a pedagogy and teaching materials that are rational, objective and balanced, and to nurture their identity as Chinese nationals in line with the social teaching of the Catholic Church.  

At present, Hong Kong and the global community are facing great challenges in various ways.  This being so, permit me to appeal to you once more, dear Brothers and Sister, to pray for Hong Kong and the whole human family with one mind and one heart, and to bear witness together to the Good News of Christ. 

+ John Cardinal Tong
Apostolic Administrator
8 September 2020