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Cardinal Joseph Zen, a 90-year-old former bishop of Hong Kong and outspoken critic of China’s ruling Communist Party, went on trial Monday over his function in a aid fund for town’s pro-democracy protests in 2019.
The high-profile case has introduced renewed deal with the warming ties between Beijing and the Vatican, which has seen the latter seem to keep away from remarks that might danger upsetting China.
Zen, one in all Asia’s most senior Catholic clerics, was arrested by Hong Kong’s nationwide safety police in May together with three different main democracy activists, together with Cantopop star Denis Ho.
The 4 trustees of the fund have been initially arrested on suspicion of “collusion with foreign forces,” a cost beneath a sweeping nationwide safety legislation that carries a most punishment of life imprisonment.
A fifth trustee, former legislator Cyd Ho, was already in jail for unlawful meeting over a separate case. Ho was arrested the next day on nationwide safety grounds, too.
All 5 have since been charged with a lesser offense for failing to register the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund, arrange in June 2019 to assist pay the authorized and medical charges for protesters beneath arrest. The fund ceased operations final yr following an investigation by the nationwide safety police.
The cost beneath the Societies Ordinance, a century-old colonial-era legislation, carries a superb of as much as HK$10,000 (US$1,274) however not jail time. All defendants have pleaded not responsible.
On Monday morning, Zen arrived on the West Kowloon court docket leaning on a strolling stick. He didn’t converse to reporters.
The court docket heard that the authorized fund raised HK$270 million (US$34.4 million) of donations, revamped 100,000 deposits. In addition to offering monetary assist to protesters, the fund was additionally used to sponsor pro-democracy rallies akin to paying for audio equipments.
The Vatican has remained largely muted over Zen’s case aside from an announcement in May, which stated it realized of Zen’s arrest with “concern” and was “following the evolution of the situation with extreme attention.”
On September 14, on a return flight from Kazakhstan, Pope Francis was requested whether or not he thought of the looming trial in opposition to Zen a violation of non secular freedom.
In a convoluted reply, the Pope repeatedly careworn his help for “the path of dialogue” and the significance to respect “the Chinese mentality.” He additionally refused to qualify China as undemocratic “because it’s such a complex country,” in line with the Vatican News.
“Yes, it is true that there are things that seem undemocratic to us, that is true,” the Pope stated. “Cardinal Zen is going to trial these days, I think. And he says what he feels, and you can see that there are limitations there.”
Zen’s trial comes at a delicate time for the Vatican, which is getting ready to resume a controversial cope with Beijing over the appointment of bishops in China. Under the unique deal struck in 2018, the Vatican acknowledged the legitimacy of seven bishops appointed by the Chinese authorities. The deal got here at a time when China was doubling down its crackdown on underground Christian teams as a part of chief Xi Jinping’s marketing campaign to deliver faith beneath absolutely the management of the Communist Party.
Zen has overtly criticized the deal, calling it an “incredible betrayal” and accusing the Vatican of “giving the flock into the mouths of the wolves.”
In 2020, the Vatican stated the deal was prolonged for one more two years.
Born in Catholic mother and father in Shanghai in 1932, Zen fled to Kong Kong along with his household to flee looming Communist rule as a teen. He was ordained as a priest in 1961 and made Bishop of Hong Kong in 2002, earlier than retiring in 2009.
Known because the “conscience of Hong Kong” amongst his supporters, Zen has lengthy been a outstanding advocate for democracy, human rights and spiritual freedom. He has been on the entrance strains of among the metropolis’s most vital protests, from the mass rally in opposition to nationwide safety laws in 2003 to the “Umbrella Movement” demanding common suffrage in 2014.
Zen’s prosecution is the most recent in an ongoing crackdown on Hong Kong’s pro-democracy motion, which noticed the Asian monetary hub rocked by road protests via a lot of 2019 in resistance of Beijing’s tightening grip.
Beijing responded by imposing a controversial nationwide safety legislation in 2020, which critics say has been used to crush town’s opposition motion, overhaul its electoral system, silence its outspoken media and cripple its once-vibrant civil society. Most of Hong Kong’s outstanding pro-democracy figures have both been thrown in jail or gone into exile.
The Hong Kong authorities has repeatedly denied the nationwide safety legislation is suppressing freedoms. Instead, it insists the legislation has ended chaos and restored stability to town.
