As Advent dawns once again, Cardinal Stephen Chow, S.J., offers Hong Kong a stirring pastoral letter that invites the faithful to prepare for the birth of Christ and to recover the deep, steady hope that lies at the heart of the Christian life. With the Jubilee Year of Hope drawing to a close and the diocese marking the 80th anniversary of its establishment, the cardinal calls us to true hope rooted in God’s enduring promises. It is with this conviction that he urges the Church in Hong Kong to “climb the Lord’s mountain,” allowing God to instruct and reshape us for mission.
This moment, he reminds us, is not merely ceremonial. The anniversary theme, “Messengers of Hope,” speaks to our concrete identity: we are both recipients and agents of hope, especially in a world marred by anxiety, division, and disillusionment. Hope becomes credible only when it is lived in communities that listen, discern and walk together. This vision, long nurtured through the global synodal process, a journey the Diocese of Hong Kong began in 2021, now calls for deeper local commitment.
The call for a synodal Church is not a slogan but a roadmap. The pastoral letter highlights “The Conversation in the Spirit” as a transformative method that allows clergy, religious, and laity to speak from prayer, listen without fear, and turn tensions into creativity rather than divisions. This is a call to conversion of heart—because synodality is not about democracy or bureaucracy, but about sincerely seeking God’s will in communion. After a year of preparation and learning, the cardinal proposes a diocesan assembly in 2027 to discern future pastoral priorities.
In response to demographic changes, the cardinal announced the creation of dedicated pastoral teams for English-speaking and Putonghua-speaking communities. By establishing dedicated pastoral teams for each, he underscores Hong Kong’s bridging mission and reminds the Church that these sisters and brothers are not outsiders, but gifts entrusted to our care. This openness reflects Pope Francis’ exhortation to “enlarge the tent”—a challenge especially urgent in a city shaped by migration, mobility and cultural diversity.
The letter also draws our focus to the younger generations, who must play a crucial role in decision-making through genuine participation in the life of the Church. While their insights are essential for a synodal future, the elderly—often isolated or overlooked—must remain treasures that connect us to memory, identity, and heritage. A Church that honours its elders and empowers its youth becomes a community where hope flows naturally across generations.
Echoing the teaching of Pope Leo XIV and Laudato Si’, the pastoral letter reminds us that the marginalised are not objects of charity but part of who we are, and that care for our common home is not optional. Small, deliberate changes—such as reducing plastic consumption—become acts of faithfulness, justice and hope.
For this Advent, the message is clear: hope is not an idea, but a mission. To be “messengers of hope” is to allow God to reshape our hearts, our communities and our city. jose, CMF
