ASIA/HONG KONG - Cardinal Chow: Pope Leo wants to visit China, let us pray that his dream may come true.

Hong Kong (Agenzia Fides) - Cardinal Stephen Chow Sau-yan, Bishop of Hong Kong, invited all the faithful to pray "that Leo XIV may set foot in China as Pope." During the Mass celebrated on May 22 in Hong Kong Cathedral, dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, the Jesuit Cardinal also offered prayers recalling the beginning of Pope Leo's Petrine ministry, which took place with the Eucharistic celebration presided over by the Pontiff four days earlier in St. Peter's Square. Pope Leo XIV, the Bishop of Hong Kong confided during his homily, "told me he would like to make a pastoral visit to China. I ask you to pray for him, so that he may realize the unfulfilled dream of Pope Francis. He also told me," Cardinal Chow added, "that he was the first Pope to visit mainland China (before his papal election, ed.). I believe he is not foreign to Chinese culture. It would be very significant if he could make a pastoral visit to China as Pope, so I ask you to pray for this dream."

Two days later, at the end of the Eucharistic liturgy on Saturday, May 24, celebrated on the occasion of the Day of Prayer for the Church in China, Cardinal Chow renewed his appeal, sharing with those present his experience as a pilgrim to the Marian shrine of Sheshan, near Shanghai, which he experienced last February with a representative of the Diocese of Hong Kong. Cardinal Stephen recounted the great emotion he felt upon finally seeing the large statue at the top of the hill and how, standing before it, everyone prayed for Pope Francis's health when he was admitted to the Gemelli hospital in Rome.
"Now," Cardinal Chow added, " Pope Francis is in heaven, praying for us and for our Church in China. He always longed to visit China and meet our brothers and sisters there… We now pray that his successor, as the successor of St. Peter, may one day set foot on Chinese soil as pope."
According to Kung Kao Pao, the weekly bulletin of the Diocese of Hong Kong, following the election of Pope Leo XIV, a solemn ecumenical celebration was held in Hong Kong Cathedral to invoke heaven's blessings for Pope Francis. The event was attended by several leaders of local Churches and ecclesial communities, local government officials, diplomats present in Hong Kong, and more than 700 faithful. On that occasion, Cardinal Chow emphasized that the ministry exercised by Pope Leo is a ministry at the service of unity. “Today we pray for the new Pope Leo XIV, that he may be blessed with good health and wisdom for his mission, and that, following him as head of our Church, we may be united in communion and continue spreading the Gospel in a spirit of synodality and communion.” In the aforementioned May 24 liturgy, the Cardinal also implored everyone “not to judge or generalise about people in either the open or underground Church.” “Only they know the circumstances influencing their decisions, and only the Lord can see into their hearts,” Cardinal Chow added, recalling Jesus’ words in the Gospel according to Saint Luke: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful… Do not judge, and you will not be judged.” “Our Lady of China, and Mary, Help of Christians of Sheshan,” added the Bishop of Hong Kong, “is and will always be with the people of God in mainland China.” At the end of the liturgy, the assembly also recited in community the Prayer to Our Lady of Sheshan written by Pope Benedict XVI to invoke God's blessing on all Chinese people. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides, 30/5/2025)

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