Cardinal Joseph Zen, emeritus bishop of Hong Kong, is in Rome to participate in the first extraordinary consistory of the pontificate of Leo XIV and was received this Wednesday in a private audience by the Pope. This is reported by Collage of Cardinals.
The 93-year-old cardinal was able to travel after obtaining a specific permit from the Hong Kong authorities, who maintain severe restrictions on his movements since his detention in 2022 under the National Security Law imposed by Beijing.
Legal restrictions and permanent surveillance
Zen was arrested along with other people on charges of “collusion with foreign forces” due to his involvement with a humanitarian fund intended to support pro-democracy protesters. He was subsequently convicted of a misdemeanor, fined, and released on bail. The cardinal has always maintained his innocence regarding all charges.
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Since then, Hong Kong courts have confiscated his passport on several occasions, returning it only temporarily and exceptionally for strictly limited trips. This happened, for example, when he was allowed to attend the funerals of Benedict XVI and Pope Francis.
A significant gesture from the new pontificate
During the previous pontificate, Cardinal Zen had great difficulties in being received personally by the Pope, despite his repeated requests and his insistence that the Holy See adopt a firmer stance toward the Chinese regime.
Zen was one of the most constant critics of the provisional agreement between the Vatican and China on the appointment of bishops, warning of its risks to the freedom of the Church and the fidelity of Chinese Catholics. In 2020, he traveled to Rome with a personal letter in which he requested the appointment of a “faithful pastor” for the diocese of Hong Kong, without obtaining a private audience at that time.
The refusal was a sign of distancing between the cardinal and the pontificate of Francis, especially regarding Vatican policy toward Beijing.
Presence in Rome and expectations
Zen’s participation in the extraordinary consistory and his direct meeting with Leo XIV are now seen as a gesture of closeness and recognition toward one of the firmest voices in defense of religious freedom in China and of tradition. Although the content of the audience has not been made public, the very fact that it took place marks an evident contrast with previous years.