Hong Kong Cardinal calls for release of bishops

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, the retired bishop of Hong Kong, called on the Chinese government to release imprisoned Roman Catholic bishops as the People's Republic of China celebrates its 60th anniversary. The gesture would show that China has both the courage to correct its past wrongdoings and a willingness to recognize that faith and patriotism are not mutually exclusive.

As yet, none of the imprisoned or detained bishops have been released. Just six days after the start of China's anniversary celebrations, Bishop James Lin Xili of Wenzhou (91) died after an almost 10-year battle with Alzheimer's disease. Bishop Lin died while under house arrest and had previously served 16 years in prison for counter-revolutionary crimes.

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posted by Tom Grace at 7:55 PM 0 Comments