My appointment is a sign of the Pope’s goodwill towards China, says new Cardinal Zen

For Hong Kong’s Cardinal-elect - Bishop Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, his nomination is due to one factor, “The Pope loves China”. Speaking to AsiaNews, a few minutes after his appointment was officially announced, Bishop Zen said, “I have not yet personally met the Pope, but we worked together during the Synod on the Eucharist for three weeks. I wrote to him in November and he answered in a hand-written letter that was very affectionate”. Bishop Zen said ,“This appointment is a sign of the Pope’s goodwill and love for the whole of China”. The newly elected Cardinal, who has just turned 75, and for some time has been talking about retiring said: “Now everything changes. I had made my plans and was thinking about retirement. Now it won’t happen. . We’ll respect our marching orders. Perhaps the Pope will need some advice from time to time and on China there will be a lot of work to do.” As a simple priest, in the past Bishop Zen spent a lot of time in Chinese seminaries and so acquired a profound understanding of the official and underground Church in China. The Pope’s appointment applies also to Hong Kong, where Bishop Zen has been involved for quite some time in a struggle for universal suffrage and in defence of Catholic schools from government interference. “This appointment is a mark of approval for what I have done so far, a confirmation that we have not lost our bearings. The Pope knows all about the positions we have taken. This decision is reassuring, as well an indication of support, ” said the newly appointed Cardinal. On Wed. Feb 22, Pope Benedict nominated 15 new Cardinals, Bishop Zen is among the three nominated from Asia