STATEMENT
on
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
and
THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG
by
THE MOST REVEREND JOHN BAPTIST CHENG-CHUNG WU
CATHOLIC BISHOP OF HONG KONG
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3.
In 1997 China will resume sovereignty over Hong Kong and make it a special
administrative zone. Facing this historical change, I, as Catholic Bishop
of Hong Kong, have consulted separately with my Diocesan Board of Consultors,
the Council of Priests, Pastoral Council, Executive Committee of the Central
Council of Catholic Laity, Chinese Priests' Association, and the Association
of Men and Women Religious Superiors. We reflected on and discussed this
matter together in the light of faith and in the spirit of the Gospel, and
now I make the following statement and express our sincere desire to continue
to work with and for the people in freedom and in harmony.
As Chinese, we are proud of our heritage of our long history and our rich
culture, which we treasure. Its high moral values and noble ideals have been
repeatedly admired and praised by the Catholic Church which respects and
embraces all the positive elements present in every culture.
As people of Hong Kong we want to work, in solidarity with all fellow members
of the community, for the good of Hong Kong and for the well-being of society. Our special concern and love go out to the weak, the poor, the sick, the elderly and the lonely, and those in any way deprived or disabled. We are particularly
committed to improving the quality of life a quality of life which promotes the total development of the human person body, mind and spirit. In short, we will continue to strive to make Hong Kong a better and more humane place
in which to live.
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As Catholics we worship God and love our fellowmen. We believe in Christ who is the Mediator between God and man, the Redeemer of mankind. He preached and suffered, died and rose again. He founded the Church to teach all nations and bring good tidings to the world. We are called to continue this mission of preaching Christ and proclaiming the Gospel by loving service to all people.
As the Catholic Bishop of Hong Kong I assert unshakeably the right to religious freedom. This is a basic human right, given by God, and is now enjoyed by all people in Hong Kong. This right is demanded by man's dignity and is inherent in the very nature of man. It is essential that this basic right, and the free exercise of that right, which has been solemnly declared by the United Nations, be clearly enshrined, explicitly expressed and effectively
guaranteed in the Sino-British Joint Declaration and in the Basic Laws of
Hong Kong. This will help to strengthen the confidence of the people.