by Michael Haynes, LifeSite News:
Speaking to LifeSiteNews in Rome, soon-to-be Cardinal Stephen Chow fielded questions about the Sino-Vatican deal and argued Cardinal Zen supported him.
Speaking exclusively to LifeSiteNews, Cardinal-designate Stephen Chow, S.J., of the Diocese of Hong Kong downplayed fears about the Vatican’s secretive deal with Communist China, a deal that he has defended, and highlighted “dialogue” as key to relations with Beijing.
TRUTH LIVES on at https://sgtreport.tv/
Announced as one of the 21 new cardinals who will receive the red hat in the upcoming consistory on September 30, Chow has emerged as a prominent figure in recent months. The Jesuit prelate is notable for his hope that the Church might “ordain women” to the diaconate or the priesthood, but chiefly for his support and defense of the Vatican’s secretive deal with officials in Beijing, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
‘Dialogue’ and ‘empathy’ key in Beijing relations
When asked by LifeSite in Rome about his role and the role of the Diocese of Hong Kong in relation to China, Chow stated that “we are in a special role.”
In April, Chow visited Beijing upon the invitation of Archbishop Joseph Li Shan, president of the Communist state-run Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CCPA). Chow subsequently invited Li to Hong Kong for a return visit, in a move which stoked fears that Chow was allowing greater CCP control over the region’s Catholics. At the time, Chow described his role as being a bridge builder between Hong Kong and the state-approved and Communist-run church in China.
“We are Chinese,” Chow told LifeSite, “so we kind of know the Chinese mentality, even though I won’t say I know exactly what mainland China or the government are doing.”
This makes it “easy to understand each other,” said Chow, who will become a cardinal on Saturday. “At the same time, I’m a Catholic so I also know what Rome understands,” he added.
Continuing, Chow highlighted “dialogue” and “empathy” as key themes for his diocese.
“So, in a way, I’m trying to, if I can, inform each other [the Vatican and Beijing] what they are thinking. Because we need to establish empathy. When we are lacking empathy we cannot have real dialogue,” he said.
