Bishop John Shouren Chow, the next bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong, said he was unsure whether he would attend this year’s June 4 candlelight vigil and was reluctant to use repression to describe the actions of mainland Chinese authorities in forcibly removing crosses in various places last year.
The Vatican Holy See announced Monday (May 17, 2021) the appointment of Fr. Shouren Chow, a priest of the Diocese of Hong Kong and current Superior General of the Jesuit Province of China, as the new bishop of the Diocese of Hong Kong.
Zhou Shouren met with reporters on Tuesday, during which he was asked about his attitude toward some sensitive political events, including whether he would participate in activities commemorating the June 4 Incident this year as he has in previous years. The priest, who was an active participant in the June 4 candlelight vigil, said it would depend on the situation and whether he could legally take to the streets to rally before deciding whether he would participate in the June 4 commemoration this year. He added that he does not encourage doing things that are not legal.
Hong Kong police last year cited the seriousness of the new crown pneumonia epidemic as the reason for not approving the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China to hold a June 4 candlelight vigil in Victoria Park for the first time in 31 years. But many people still followed the tradition of entering Victoria Park that night and lit candles to mourn the victims of the June 4 massacre. Earlier this month, a Hong Kong court sentenced activist Wong Chi-fung and three district councillors to four to 10 months in prison for participating in an unauthorized June 4 candlelight vigil.
This year’s June 4 marks the first June 4 anniversary since the implementation of the Hong Kong SAR National Security Law. The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China has applied to the police to hold a candlelight memorial rally for the 32nd anniversary of June 4 in Victoria Park on the evening of June 4, hoping to continue the tradition of the past 30 years or so.
Zhou Shouren was also asked if the demolition and removal of church facilities in various parts of mainland China by the authorities last year was an act of suppression of the faithful. He said that the removal of crosses was an unhappy event, but because there was much background to it that needed to be understood more, he did not want to use suppression to describe the events in question in mainland China.
Before the Vatican announced the new bishop of Hong Kong, Bishop Emeritus Joseph Zen told the Voice of America that he was concerned that the Vatican would have to look to Beijing to decide who the new bishop of Hong Kong would be.
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