{"id":1665673,"date":"2022-09-30T03:17:58","date_gmt":"2022-09-30T07:17:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1665673"},"modified":"2022-09-30T03:19:51","modified_gmt":"2022-09-30T07:19:51","slug":"as-cardinal-zen-faces-trial-for-protesting-chinas-abuses-pope-francis-cozies-up-to-the-ccp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/as-cardinal-zen-faces-trial-for-protesting-chinas-abuses-pope-francis-cozies-up-to-the-ccp\/","title":{"rendered":"As Cardinal Zen Faces Trial For Protesting China\u2019s Abuses, Pope Francis Cozies Up To The CCP"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">32<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fas-cardinal-zen-faces-trial-for-protesting-chinas-abuses-pope-francis-cozies-up-to-the-ccp%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1665673&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><\/div>\n<p>If you want to know how Hong Kong has transformed from one of the freest places on earth to a dystopia, observe its courthouses and jails. Since Beijing imposed the draconian\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/how-chinas-national-security-law-silences-hong-kong-11656673119?mod=article_inline\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">National Security Law<\/a> on Hong Kong in 2020, the city\u2019s authorities have cracked down on dissenting voices by arresting and jailing <a href=\"https:\/\/hongkongfp.com\/2022\/06\/30\/2-years-of-hong-kongs-national-security-law-explained-in-data\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">hundreds of people<\/a>\u00a0in the name of national security. From\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/hong-kong-police-charge-journalist-group-leader-with-obstruction-11663590813?page=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">executives of independent newspapers<\/a>\u00a0to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/hong-kong-where-childrens-books-are-now-seditious-chinese-communist-party-beijing-arrested-civil-unrest-jail-publishing-11662909336\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">publishers of children\u2019s books<\/a>, no one is safe. This week, another set of pro-democracy activists, including the\u00a090-year-old Cardinal Zen, faces <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/hong-kongs-cardinal-zen-goes-on-trial-over-support-fund-for-protesters-11664163123\">t<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/hong-kongs-cardinal-zen-goes-on-trial-over-support-fund-for-protesters-11664163123\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">rial<\/a> under the law.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The cardinal\u2019s trial relates to an anti-extradition bill\u00a0protest held in 2019. The <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2019\/06\/14\/million-person-protests-beijing-hong-kong-warrant-response-trump\/#.XQPf3WaLX6I.twitter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">bill<\/a> sought to extradite \u201ccriminals\u201d to mainland China, which would erode Hong Kong\u2019s judicial independence and harm Chinese dissidents in the city. Millions of Hong Kongers took to the street to protest. A small fraction of protesters experienced violent encounters with the police after the police\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amnesty.org\/en\/latest\/news\/2019\/06\/hong-kong-police-violence-verified\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">deployed brutal anti-riot tactics<\/a>. The Hong Kong police ended up <a href=\"https:\/\/multimedia.scmp.com\/infographics\/news\/hong-kong\/article\/3088009\/one-year-protest\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">arresting<\/a>\u00a0thousands of people as a result of the protests. <\/p>\n<p>Zen and other civil leaders set up the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/612fund.hk\/en\/home\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">612 Humanitarian Relief Fund<\/a>\u00a0in 2019 to provide \u201chumanitarian and relevant financial support to persons injured, arrested, attacked or threatened with violence\u201d during<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>the protests. But the fund<strong> <\/strong>was dissolved in 2021.<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Still, Hong Kong authorities\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/religion-arrests-beijing-hong-kong-9ab29153d47eee5b79b926d016eb597a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">arrested<\/a> Zen and three other trustees of the fund, charging them with \u201ccolluding with foreign forces\u201d and \u201cthreatening national security\u201d by \u201cfailing\u201d to register the fund appropriately. <\/p>\n<p>All those arrested who were associated with the relief fund pleaded not guilty to the charges and were out on bail. Their trial was set to begin last week, but it was\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/aleteia.org\/2022\/09\/21\/cardinal-zens-trial-pushed-back-after-judge-tests-positive-for-covid-19\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">delayed<\/a>\u00a0because the presiding judge tested positive for Covid. Undoubtedly, Zen, known for his outspokenness and support for Hong Kong\u2019s pro-democracy movement, is the government\u2019s primary target.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Prior to becoming a cardinal, then-Bishop Zen emerged as an incredibly outspoken Catholic leader in Hong Kong as it began to flourish under British rule. In 2004, the government of Hong Kong <a href=\"http:\/\/www.asianews.it\/news-en\/Hong-Kong-Catholic-schools-in-danger-14803.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">attempted<\/a>\u00a0to take the management of Catholic schools away from the church and give it a government-organized \u201cIncorporated Management Committee.\u201d Zen led the Catholic Church\u2019s challenge of the government\u2019s policy in Hong Kong\u2019s courts. If Catholic schools \u201cdid not have the freedom to continue [their way of managing their schools],\u201d Zen warned, the church\u2019s mission \u201cwould be ruined, and this would damage the entire society of Hong Kong.\u201d Pope Benedict XVI recognized Bishop Zen\u2019s courage and elevated him to the College of Cardinals in 2006.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>After seven years of litigation, the church lost its battle when Hong Kong\u2019s Supreme Court ruled against the church on Oct. 3, 2011. Two weeks after the ruling, the 79-year-old Cardinal Zen went on a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/cathnews.co.nz\/2011\/10\/28\/79-year-old-cardinal-on-hunger-strike\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">three-day hunger strike<\/a>\u00a0in protest.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Shortly after succeeding Pope Benedict XVI in 2013, Pope Francis eagerly sought to restore the diplomatic relationship with Beijing. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) severed China\u2019s relationship with the Vatican in 1949 and mercilessly persecuted millions of religious believers. But in the 1980s, hoping to attract foreign investment, the CCP began to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.slate.com\/bigideas\/what-is-the-future-of-religion\/essays-and-opinions\/fenggang-yang-opinion\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">show<\/a> a limited tolerance to religious believers\u00a0\u201cso long as they were under the control of \u2018patriotic\u2019 associations.\u201d\u00a0Since then, China has experienced\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/32486\/why-is-christianity-growing-so-quickly-in-mainland-china\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">explosive growth<\/a>\u00a0in Christian populations.<\/p>\n<p>Many Chinese Christians prefer to attend underground house churches than government-sanctioned churches, and Chinese Catholics remain loyal to the pope and the bishops he appointed. To have complete control of Chinese Catholics, Beijing insisted that the Vatican accept only Chinese government-appointed bishops and give them full authority to rule a Chinese diocese. Francis\u2019s predecessors had rejected Beijing\u2019s demand. Pope Benedict XVI explained, \u201cthe authority of the Pope to appoint bishops is given to the church by its founder Jesus Christ. It is not the property of the Pope, nor can the Pope give it to others.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But Pope Francis was willing to cave to Beijing. An alarmed Zen traveled to the Vatican several times, hoping to persuade Pope Francis not to compromise the church\u2019s principles and point out that persecution of Christians has intensified under Chinese leader Xi Jinping. But Pope Francis refused even to grant Zen an audience.<\/p>\n<p>In February 2018, the Vatican announced that it had reached a secret deal with Beijing. The announcement came one month after Chinese police used excavators and dynamite to\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/chinese-authorities-demolish-christian-mega-church-in-crackdown-2018-1\">de<\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/chinese-authorities-demolish-christian-mega-church-in-crackdown-2018-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">s<\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/chinese-authorities-demolish-christian-mega-church-in-crackdown-2018-1\">troy<\/a>\u00a0a megachurch in China. Suspected that Beijing wouldn\u2019t have signed the deal unless it got what it wanted, Zen\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnsnews.com\/blog\/michael-w-chapman\/cardinal-zen-popes-china-deal-its-incredible-betrayal-complete-surrender\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">decried<\/a>\u00a0the agreement as \u201ca total surrender\u201d by the Vatican and \u201can incredible betrayal\u201d to mainland China\u2019s 7 million Catholic faithful.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Back in Hong Kong, Zen continued to fight to preserve the political and religious freedom of the city\u2019s 7 million population. In 2019, Beijing-appointed Hong Kong chief executive, Carrie Lam, tried to scuttle the controversial extradition bill through the city\u2019s legislature. Zen and leaders from other Christian organizations\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/hong-kong\/politics\/article\/3014015\/hong-kong-extradition-bill-catholic-church-urges-restraint\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">urged<\/a>\u00a0\u201c[the Hong Kong government] not to rush to amend the fugitive bill before fully responding to the concerns of the legal sector and the public.\u201d Zen also\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CardJosephZen\/status\/1140334593603710976\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">called<\/a>\u00a0on the faithful to join the peaceful protests when it became evident that Lam wouldn\u2019t listen.<\/p>\n<p>After police brutality against protesters was reported, the Catholic dioceses\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/catholic.org.hk\/en\/media19062019\/\">asked<\/a>\u00a0the government to \u201claunch a thorough independent inquiry\u201d on reported police brutality and \u201cmake an explicit, public statement that the Bill has been \u2018withdrawn\u2019 to meet the strong demand of the general public.\u201d Carrie Lam eventually withdrew the extradition bill under public pressure.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This week\u2019s trial of Zen does not bode well for the 90-year-old. Up to this point, everyone charged under the National Security Law has been convicted. Beijing and Hong Kong authorities undoubtedly will make the cardinal pay for his lifetime of activism and advocacy for political freedom, religious freedom, and human rights.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Rather than issuing a strongly worded condemnation of Zen\u2019s arrest, Pope Francis is\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/252331\/pope-francis-extends-a-hand-to-china\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reportedly<\/a>\u00a0considering making even more compromises to appeal to Beijing, including possibly closing its Nunciature of China in Taiwan and reopening one in Beijing instead. Pope Francis also said he was\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/252274\/pope-francis-on-papal-plane-im-always-ready-to-go-to-china\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ready to visit China<\/a>, something Zen strongly\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.catholicculture.org\/news\/headlines\/index.cfm?storyid=21910\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">opposed<\/a>.\u00a0When asked about Cardinal Zen\u2019s arrest, Pope Francis <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/hong-kongs-cardinal-zen-goes-on-trial-over-support-fund-for-protesters-11664163123\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reportedly<\/a> said Zen \u201csays what he feels, and you can see that there are limitations there.\u201d The pope wouldn\u2019t condemn China as undemocratic \u201cbecause it\u2019s such a complex country.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Cardinal Zen\u2019s unbreakable spirit stands in stark contrast to Pope Francis\u2019s cowardliness.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n<p>\n  This byline marks several different individuals, granted anonymity in cases where publishing an article on The Federalist would credibly threaten close personal relationships, their safety, or their jobs. We verify the identities of those who publish anonymously with The Federalist.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you want to know how Hong Kong has transformed from one of the freest places on earth to a dystopia, observe its courthouses and jails. Since Beijing imposed the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":771,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1665673","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1665673","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/771"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1665673"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1665673\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1665673"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1665673"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1665673"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}