Hong Kong – “The joy of our Church lies in being able to share the joy of the Gospel with Hong Kong”. With these words, Cardinal Stephen Chow Sau-yan, Bishop of Hong Kong, outlined the present and future mission of the local Church community, called to share the joy of the Gospel with all citizens. He did so by inaugurating the historical exhibition on the journey and works of the local Church, organized as part of the celebrations marking the 185th anniversary of the start of the mission and the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the diocese.
Speaking before a large gathering of guests on 9 May, the Jesuit cardinal emphasized that “our predecessors and we have always sought, through words and deeds, and above all through various social services and educational work, to share the spirit of the Gospel’s great love and the values of truth, goodness, beauty and love”. According to the weekly bulletin Kung Kao Pu, for the bishop, proclaiming and bearing witness to the Gospel “means above all enabling more people to know God’s great love and the good news of eternal life, so that they may develop the synodal journey through dialogue and sharing with Hong Kong and with their neighbours”.
“The heart of evangelization is unchanging, and in this way people can experience the love of the Gospel,” remarked Cardinal Chow, noting that this requires us to remain steadfast in the faith and to persevere on the missionary journey undertaken in Hong Kong over the past 185 years.
Until 31 May, visitors to the exhibition at Saint Francis University will be able to retrace the 185 years of evangelization in Hong Kong and the 80 years since the diocese was founded, following three main themes: the development of the diocese, Catholic education and the work of Caritas. Through photographs, oral testimonies and guided tours , visitors will also be able to make use of innovative artificial intelligence technologies. At the centre of the hall is a reproduction of the document in which the Holy See announced the elevation of Hong Kong to a diocese and appointed Enrico Valtorta as its first bishop.
The Catholic Church in Hong Kong, which in 1841 had only a few faithful, today comprises around 600,000 baptized members, including many migrant workers.
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