As the former bishop of Hong Kong, Zen, 91, an outspoken pro-democracy advocate, was arrested in May 2022 by Hong Kong authorities, convicted of improperly registering a pro-democracy fund, and ordered to pay a fine, which he has appealed.
Jimmy Lai Chee-ying has been jailed since December 2020 for his involvement in pro-democracy protests and faces the possibility of being sentenced to life in prison under national security charges. Lai is an entrepreneur and billionaire media mogul who converted to Catholicism in 1997. The newspaper he founded, Apple Daily, had distinguished itself over the years as a strongly pro-democracy publication critical of the Chinese government in Beijing before it was forced to shut down.
On Dec. 13, 2022, a Hong Kong court delayed Lai’s national security trial, initially scheduled for that month, until September 2023.
Cordileone, whose archdiocese sits within a metropolitan area that is nearly 30% Chinese, has continuously called for prayer for the people of China and Hong Kong.
Cardinal Zen, we do not know what lies ahead for you in this unjust world, but know that we love you and pray for you. And we know that God will give you your reward. pic.twitter.com/aMSIIGHYWr
— Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone (@ArchCordileone) November 26, 2022
Following Zen’s conviction in November 2022, Cordileone tweeted his support, saying: “Cardinal Zen, we do not know what lies ahead for you in this unjust world, but know that we love you and pray for you. And we know that God will give you your reward.”