May 16, 2022 at 2:04 am
The Hong Kong National Security Police detained five former trustees of the “612 Humanitarian Support Fund”, accusing them of violating China’s “Hong Kong National Security Law”, including Cardinal Chen Rijun, Emeritus Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong National Security Police said that 90-year-old Chen Rijun and others were “suspected of requesting a foreign country or an overseas organization to impose sanctions on the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and endanger national security” and were suspected of “conspiracy to collude with foreign forces or foreign forces to endanger national security.” The five were detained for a day and were released on bail pending investigation, but they were required to hand over their travel documents as ordered by the magistrate and not be allowed to leave Hong Kong.
Chen Rijun became a criminal suspect of the Hong Kong police and attracted international attention. The Vatican said the Holy See would closely monitor developments, the U.S. State Department strongly condemned the arrests, and British Foreign Office officials called Hong Kong police practices “unacceptable.”
Li Jiachao, the chief executive-elect of Hong Kong, China, who disclosed his Catholic beliefs during the election campaign, commented for the first time days after the arrest: “Whatever the person involved in this case, the most important thing is that what we are targeting is his criminal conduct, and the His background and ideas are not directly related.”
Li Jiachao, who was born in the police force and was in charge of preparing for the establishment of the “Hong Kong National Security Law” law enforcement system when he was the Secretary for Security of the Special Administrative Region, said on May 15: “I think this message is very clear, to tell Hong Kong citizens and the international community that the same is true everywhere. Similar to the background of some people, people may have always had special support and opinions for him, but if his behavior violates the law, it must be dealt with according to the law.”
Before Li Jiachao’s remarks, the Hong Kong SAR government said that the arrest of the national security police “has nothing to do with the occupation or religious background of the arrested persons”; the Commissioner’s Office of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong said, “Where have these people been, what have they done, and external interference forces You know it well, don’t pretend to be confused.”
The “actionists” at the top of the church
Chen Rijun was born in Shanghai on January 13, 1932. At the age of 12, his family sent him to study at the Roman Catholic Salesian Seminary. He followed the church to Hong Kong in 1948. After the establishment of the CCP in 1949, he was unable to return home and stayed. After studying in Turin, Italy, he returned to Hong Kong to teach theology and philosophy after obtaining a doctorate.
After the “June 4th” Incident in 1989, Chen Rijun served as a visiting professor in several officially recognized seminaries in mainland China until 1996. In October of the same year, he was appointed as the assistant bishop of the Hong Kong Diocese. In September 2002, he succeeded Cardinal Hu Zhenzhong, who died of illness. The sixth bishop of the Diocese of Hong Kong.
After the handover of Hong Kong sovereignty in 1997, Chen Rijun made a high-profile support for social events and criticized the policies of the SAR government. For example, in the dispute over the right to reside in Hong Kong in 2001, a large number of children born by mainland parents in Hong Kong were defined as undocumented children. There was an opportunity to file a lawsuit to seek legal residency, and the SAR government stated that these children were not allowed to go to school while awaiting judgment. Chen Rijun then publicly called on Catholic schools to admit undocumented children to study. Chen Rijun’s outspoken style is in stark contrast to Cardinal Hu Zhenzhong, who has been a bishop for 27 years, causing public opinion to worry that after he takes over as bishop, the relationship between the diocese and the SAR government may be strained.
Chen Rijun’s role as a bishop is so important because the Roman Catholic Church has a certain influence in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department estimates that by the end of 2021, the population of Hong Kong will be 7.4031 million; according to the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong, as of the end of August 2021, there will be 401,000 Catholics in Hong Kong.
Primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong are run by the private sector, with government-subsidized “subsidized schools” as the main force, and kindergartens are entirely private. Among them, the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong and its subordinate institutions are the main school-running organizations in Hong Kong. According to the “Hong Kong Annual Report 2020” published by the SAR government According to records, there are 249 Catholic schools and kindergartens in Hong Kong with about 145,875 students. As a bishop, Chen Rijun became the top person in charge of these schools at the same time.
After he took office as bishop, the Tung Chee-hwa government launched the National Security Legislation Consultation on Article 23 of the Basic Law. Fu Tieshan, the then chairman of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, criticized him for not being able to “God to God and Caesar to Caesar”.
In December 2005, the World Trade Organization (WTO) ministerial meeting was held in Hong Kong, during which international demonstrators, including South Korean farmers’ organizations, clashed violently with Hong Kong police, and riot police were dispatched to suppress and arrest them. Chen Rijun criticized the police action as a “shame of Hong Kong”, which aroused serious dissatisfaction with the Hong Kong Police Inspectorate Association and the Police Officers’ Association, and threatened to submit a complaint to the Holy See. bullying” ethos.
In March 2006, Chen Rijun was promoted to cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI, becoming a “cardinal” who has the right to elect or be elected as the pope.
On the 10th anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong in 2007, Chen Rijun participated in the “July 1st” parade held by the pan-democratic faction for the first time. He said at the time that he had endured for ten years and finally came out to march, because “one country” overwhelmed “two systems”, Hong Kong’s traditional culture in the past has regressed, etiquette, righteousness and shame are gone, flattering the powerful and bullying the weak has become popular culture. Liu Bainian, then vice-president of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, criticized Chen Rijun’s actions in an interview with the BBC in Chinese for “making non-religious people have a bad view of our Catholic Church”, and he cannot accept people who do not cooperate with the Chinese government as bishops.
On September 28, 2014, Hong Kong’s “Occupy Central” campaign for universal suffrage blocked road protests broke out – the so-called “Umbrella Movement” – Chen Rijun had previously participated in the “Trail Walk for Universal Suffrage” and other campaign activities, and later in the Kim Mobile classrooms were opened in the Zhong Demonstration Area. In December, the “three sons of Occupy Central” Dai Yaoting, Chen Jianmin and Pastor Zhu Yaoming surrendered to the police, accompanied by Chen Rijun.
In December 2018, when the trial of the “Nine Sons of Occupy Central” public nuisance case began, Chen Rijun testified in court that he felt ashamed that he did not endure the tear gas and pepper spray of the riot police with the masses on the night of the “Occupy Central” outbreak.
In 2019, an amendment to the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance sparked months of demonstrations, and Chen Rijun also showed up to show his support. On July 6, the “612 Humanitarian Support Fund” was established, with Chen Rijun as the trustee. A year later, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China promulgated the “Hong Kong National Security Law”, and arrests and prosecutions by the national security police occurred one after another.
Cardinal Chen Rijun frequently appears in court to show solidarity with pro-democracy politicians and activists indicted,Pro-democracy protest regulars gathered outside the courthouse greeted him more often when they saw him. Originally, some people in the Catholic community called him “Grandpa Cardinal”, and now some media have regarded him as a member of the “auditor”.
In May 2021, Chen Rijun accepted an exclusive interview with the now-suspended “Stand News” and was asked if he would leave Hong Kong. “I won’t go, I can’t go, I shouldn’t go…I can’t give up, I’m still the bishop emeritus of Hong Kong,” he said.
In January 2022, Ta Kung Pao, China’s official newspaper in Hong Kong, published a full-page article accusing the British of “severely favoring Western religions” in terms of running schools during the Hong Kong era.
The article said: “Chen Rijun, who retired from the position of bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong, has long abused his status as a cleric to join forces with ‘Hong Kong independence’ elements such as Jimmy Lai and Li Zhuming, the leaders of the chaos in Hong Kong, to engage in anti-China and chaotic activities in Hong Kong.”
“From the anti-Article 23 legislation in 2003 and the anti-‘school-based regulations’ to the right of abode incident, the illegal ‘Occupy Central’, and then to the ‘revision storm’ in 2019, Chen, Li, and Li can all be seen in the There is a lot of trouble behind it. It is reported that from 2006 to December 2013, Li Zhiying provided Chen Rijun with more than 20 million yuan in political donations.”
In 2011, Chen Rijun publicly confirmed that he had accepted a donation of 20 million Hong Kong dollars (2.55 million US dollars; 17.3 million yuan) from Li Zhiying, the founder of “Next Media”, but stressed that the donation did not involve political activities.
On May 11, 2022, Cardinal Chen Rijun, Dr. Xu Baoqiang, a former scholar of Lingnan University in Hong Kong, singer He Yunshi, and former Legislative Council members Wu Aiyi and He Xiulan were successively arrested. He Xiulan, a former Legislative Council member who was serving a sentence for another case, was also in prison the next day. arrested in. All five of them are the original trustees of the “612 Fund”.
The Hong Kong Catholic Justice and Peace Commission (CJP) is an organization under the Diocese of Hong Kong and has long participated in front-line social movements together with pro-democracy groups. The committee posted on Facebook after Chen Rijun’s arrest: “‘Don’t be afraid of the turbulent waves, it is up to him to reach the shore safely’. Prayers for the cardinal grandpa and all the righteous, may they be safe amid the turbulence!”
According to the official website of the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong, the first two sentences are the motto written on the pastoral emblem awarded by the Vatican to Cardinal Chen Rijun, which is from the Old Testament (1st Peter), the original text is “Take all your concerns to him (Jesus), for he will take care of you.”
Li Wenluo, secretary of the Hong Kong Catholic Justice and Peace Committee and a former member of the Hong Kong Public Interest, posted: “A 90-year-old man said at the moment he stepped on the police car: ‘Don’t be afraid, please believe in God’s arrangement!'” Chen Rijun was approved in the early morning of the 12th. He was released on bail pending investigation, smiled at the reporters when he left the police station, and then got into the car and left. The posts of the Hong Kong Catholic Justice and Peace Commission and Chen Rijun’s personal Facebook posts can all find netizens leaving messages to pray for him.
Lord Chris Patten, patron of the British “Hong Kong Watch” organization and the last Governor of the British Hong Kong government, commented on the arrest of Card. Chen Rijun: “I hope the Holy See and Catholics everywhere will speak out against the arrest of a great man by the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities. Catholic priest and advocate, and pray for the well-being of him and the whole of Hong Kong. This could put an end to the relationship the Holy See is trying to forge with the CCP, whose tyranny sees any religion as a threat.”
Leung Chun-ying, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and former chief executive, refuted the Vatican’s concerns about the case, saying: “Bishops are guilty of the same crime as the common people. What is surprising to Western countries is not the arrest of the bishop, but the fact that the bishop is suspected of breaking the law.”
Reverend Guan Haoming Fazheng, a member of the Hong Kong Legislative Council Election Committee who is considered a pro-Beijing figure and former secretary-general of the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Church, said: “This matter should have nothing to do with religious freedom. .”
But Pastor Guan Haoming also said: “I have known the cardinal for so many years, and I know that he is not a bad-hearted person, so I will continue to pray for him. Personally, I hope he is all right and safe.”
Hong Kong Cable TV quoted Li Dongguo, the former Secretary of Security of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the representative of the Hong Kong District of the National People’s Congress, as saying: “I respect and respect Cardinal Chen Rijun, we have the same belief. As for this matter involving a criminal case, it should not be related to religious belief. any relationship.”
Crash Beijing, Crash the Holy See
Chen Rijun has a long history of bad relations with Beijing. On October 1, 2000, Pope John Paul II canonized 120 missionaries who died in China during the late Qing Dynasty and other periods. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticized many of them as imperial colonialists and Criminal, accused of provocation by the Vatican.
Chen Rijun wrote an article revealing that the Liaison Office of the Central Government of China in Hong Kong (Hong Kong Liaison Office) had asked the Hong Kong Diocese to deal with the canonization in a low-key manner, and because he had spoken on the phone with the bishops of mainland China, the Liaison Office warned that “Beijing is very dissatisfied with you”. The article also criticized Beijing for its persecution of mainland clerics.
When Chen Rijun was promoted to cardinal in 2006, he said: “Many people think that I am an enemy of Beijing, but I don’t think the central government thinks so. I think they are still watching me.” He also expressed his willingness to assist the Vatican in establishing diplomatic relations with Beijing.
However, Chen Rijun believes that the Holy See lacks understanding of China. The resignation of Pope Benedict XVI in 2013 shocked the religious world. Chen Rijun once said that he believed that some officials in the Vatican’s Ministry for the Evangelization of Peoples had compromised too much with the CCP regime to the extent that it was too much to handle, and the Pope eventually replaced the relevant officials.
In March of that year, the new Pope, Pope Francis, took office. Cardinal Chen Rijun later said in an exclusive interview with the BBC in Chinese that he believed that Francis did not understand the CCP.
Chen Rijun said in an exclusive interview in 2016: “The Pope will definitely not compromise completely. Compromise means that both sides will benefit. But I’m afraid they can’t do it.”
“The Communist Party has been in control for so many years now, and it’s very clear now. They just want to control the church, not just Catholicism, but all religions. They’ve got it under control now. They won’t budge, they don’t need it. concession.”
“I have been in China (mainland) for seven years, and I can see clearly that they have completely controlled the bishops.” The experience and knowledge of teaching in a monastery in mainland China for seven years became the basis for his criticism of China’s religious policies and Sino-Vatican exchanges.
In February 2018, the Vatican reported that the framework agreement between China and the Vatican on the appointment of bishops was ready. At the same time, a news agency revealed that the Vatican asked two “underground” bishops recognized by the Holy See to give way to the Chinese official “Three-Self Patriotic” The candidate recognized by the church, Chen Rijun posted on Facebook openly criticizing the Holy See for “selling the church against the church” and accusing the Chinese government of “enslaving and insulting” bishops, arguing that the Holy See should not allow “illegal” and “excommunicated” bishops to take over.
In October 2018, Cardinal Chen Rijun went to the Vatican to appeal to Pope Francis. The religious news agency Tianya reported that Chen Rijun sighed, “The Holy See does not support them, treats them as trouble, accuses them of making troubles, and even accuses them of not supporting unity, which is what makes them the most painful.”
On June 28, 2019, the Holy See issued the “Pastoral Guidance of the Holy See on Civil Registration of Chinese Clergy”. Chen Rijun believes that this document, which does not specify the issuing authority, is equivalent to requiring the believers of the underground church to participate in the officially recognized Catholic Patriotic Association. In the Vatican, after submitting petition letters many times, Pope Francis invited him to dinner and said “I will pay attention to this matter” during the dinner.
In September 2020, Chen Rijun went to the Vatican again under strict travel restrictions due to the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic, hoping to make another petition to the Pope on the situation in Hong Kong and mainland China, but this time he was not received. In an interview with the American media, he lamented that it might be his last visit to the Vatican.