Three New Bishops Act of Faith in Future
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INSIDE: MABUHAY: China bans fasting during SUNDAY Baptism rant hijacks Ramadan P2 the sacrament P5 New bishops for Hong Listen more Kong P3 condemn less P6 No peace moment Poll shows migrants' at World Cup P4 money mess P7 Seeing touching tasting Stepping stones towards the sacraments P11 financial freedom P7 Catholic News of the Week .VOL LXVIII NO.28 HONG KONG· 20 JULY2014 '. :$2.00 Published on 16 July 2014 http://sundayex.catholic,org.hk·[email protected] tel: 25220487' fax: 2521 3095 Three new bishops act of faith in future HONG KONG (SE): One of normal, long standing practice of the three vicars general, Father offering pastoral care to all those Michael Yeung Ming-cheung, in need without favour or discrim- together with Franciscan Father ination. Joseph Ha Chi-shing and Father Father Yeung added that he Stephen Lee Bun-sang, from the thinks that more time should be Prelature of Opus Dei, were named allowed for the political conver- as auxiliary bishops for Hong sation on the election of the next Kong at a gathering of priests and chief executive to evolve before religious at the Diocese Centre in the local administration sends the the early evening of July 11. results of its recently concluded Monsignor Andrea Francia, consultation on the matter to the from the Vatican Study Mission in : People's Consultative Congress. Hong Kong, made the announce- ; He added that waiting would ment concurrently with the formal . give more time for progress promulgation of the names of the through dialogue, which he new bishops in Rome. believes is a big need at the cur- All three bishops-elect are rent time of impasse. named as auxiliaries and, as the Father Yeung said he believes announcement came at the same that it is important for the Church gathering as the bishop of Hong to have many voices to present dif- Kong, John Cardinal Tong Hon, : ferent angles on issues and no one revealed that his term as bishop person or group should drown out had been extended for three years : the voices of others. beyond his 75th birthday, which He said he had been asked in is on July 3l, there is no sugges- : Hong Kong's three bishops-elect,from left, Father Joseph Ha Chi-shing OFM, the past if the diocese would close tion that any of the three will nee- • Father Michael Yeung Ming-cheung and Father Stephen Lee Bun-sang. its Justice and Peace Commis- essarily succeed him as bishop of They also have strong back- : ly gives space for opinions to be it discourage them, rather leaving sion, because of its critical stand the city. grounds in leadership; Father aired in a lawful manner. people to make their own political towards many government poli- While three auxiliaries seems Yeung in Caritas and as a vicar Father Yeung also reiterated the judgments on the matter. cies. a somewhat excessive number for general of the diocese, and both policy of the Hong Kong diocese However, he repeated that the However, he said that the idea a diocese the size of Hong Kong, Father Ha and Father Lee within on Occupy Central, saying that Church would be prepared to had been flatly rejected. their appointment maybe better their own congregations, as well the Church would not encourage support anyone who gets arrest-: It is anticipated that they will thought of in the context of an act as in their apostolates. Catholics to join, but nor would ed, which is consistent with the be ordained bishops on August 30. of faith in the future. When the three bishops-elect If indeed a week is a long time met the media at an open press in politics, three years in the life of conference held at the Diocese Cardinal Tong gets three Hong Kong and mainland China, Centre on July 12, most discus- : both of which are currently expe- . sion centred around the hot topics : riencing extreme political turbu- : of the moment in Hong Kong- . more vears as bishop ~~,,._-:-~.-~ lence, is closer to an eternity. Occupy Central, the voice of the . HONG KONG (SE): Following was never given a set, defined term Father Yeung pointed out that Churches in politics and the rela- : the usual practice, the bishop of or date when his tenure would end. no one knows the road ahead and tionship between Hong Kong and . Hong Kong, John Cardinal Tong At the same gathering, Monsig- no one knows what will develop in Beijing. Hon, submitted his resignation to nor Andrea Francia, from the Vati- terms of the Church's relationship On the controversial topic of Pope Francis some months prior can Study Centre in Hong Kong, with Beijing during that time, but civil disobedience, Father Ha reit- : to his 75th birthday, which is on announced that Pope Francis is if opportunities do arise, the pres- , erated the teaching of the Church July 31. appointing three auxiliary bishops, ence of the three bishops would and various popes, saying it is not However, he announced at a who will be ordained probably at put the Church in a position to in itself wrong, but can be a justifi- : gathering of priests and religious the end of August. respond to them. able action if the authorities are not held in the Diocese Centre on July Cardinal Tong also announced All three bishops-elect are governing for the common good II that Pope Francis has asked him that Father Yeung would cease from Hong Kong. Although Father according to moral principles and to continue in his current position being a vicar general of the dio- Yeung was born in Shanghai, he other action has failed. for a further three years. cese, but Father Dominic Chan came to the then-British colony However, he added that the dif- : Canon law requires a bishop to Chi-ming would continue in his when he was a four-year-old, and ficult challenge is to judge exact- : offer to retire from his diocese pri- , role as a vicar general. both Father Ha and Father Lee are ly when the appropriate moment or to turning 75. His resignation is However, Father Pierre Lam locally born and bred. arrives. submitted in writing to the pope, Cardinal Tong after announcing Minh will be taking a sabbatical All three received their basic Father Lee stressed that who may accept the resignation or his term as bishop has been year and would consequently be education in Hong Kong and, although one religious leader in ask him to continue in his position. extended by three years. relieved of his duties. although they have done further the city has called on his flock to However, the situation of Car- ' nal Zen Ze-kiun, also remained in There is no indication that any studies overseas, have served the be silent like Jesus before Pilate, . dinal Tong is somewhat unique. his position as bishop for over two of the new bishops would succeed bulk of their priestly lives locally. the bible is a fat book and certain- : His predecessor, Joseph Cardi- : years past his 75th birthday, but Cardinal Tong. .· , EI G 'Ai" j '.. ' l ' : '. • ". • ," "" ~''.' . i" • ,,',•.: .' _, '," _ ..,.' '_ ' •. _ ',. '" .' ';P' . fi J.' V J05;[I'PH'HA IT' <H"l", 'I'N"1), t' 'il"f Bishop-Elect Michael Yeung Ming-chueng Bishop-Elect lthough he was born in Shanghai, Father Yeung has Joseph Ha Chi-shing spent the whole of his life in Hong Kong, except A for a few years studying in the United States of America (US). Born on 1 December 1945, he came to Hong Kong as a four-year-old, attending school and later doing his studies for the priesthood at the Holy Spirit Seminary in Aberdeen. He was ordained a priest for the diocese of Hong Kong on 10 June 1978 and began his ministry in the developing days of the New Territories with the Maryknoll Fathers in the parish of Ha Kwai Chung. He still has vivid memories of the struggle to make a good life out of few resources. This is an understanding that he has carried into his work with Caritas, of which he is currently the chief exec- : utive in Hong Kong, in addition to sitting on the boards of three Caritas hospitals, an institute of education and one for careers development. In addition, he is on the executive committee of Caritas Asia, as well as the Pontifical Council Cor Unum (the Vati- : can aid agency), an organisation for drug addiction treat- ' ment and rehabilitation, and the Caritas general policy unit. With degrees from the US in mass communication, pub- : lic relations and the philosophy of education, he has also : been the director of Caritas Educational Services, as well as spending four years in the parish of Chi Fu. Father Yeung admitted that he was surprised at his new appointment, but recalled Jesus' words at the Last Supper, "Arise and go forth," giving him a sense of being called into signifies an office undertaken, the latter grace; the former a new ministry and a different type of service. is a name for danger, but the latter a name for salvation." He stressed that it can only be through the dedicated He thanked the people of the diocese, the clergy and witness to the faith of the people of Hong Kong that the religious, as well as the many missionaries in Hong Kong Church community has flourished. for the spirit that has been developed in the diocese, say- : orn into what he describes as a grassroots family He then quoted St.