New Cardinal “bridge” between Beijing and the Vatican

(January 07.01.2012) “Definitely both China and the Holy See will be pleased to have Bishop Tong dealing with China-Vatican relations, partly because of his softness and accommodating attitudes,” told Fr Gianni Criveller of the Vatican’s Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions, a scholar on Christianity in China, to AsiaNews Friday. Church-in-China observers find the appointment of Bishop John Tong Hon of Hong Kong a further recognition of the diocese as a bridge Church in the China-Vatican relation. He is the third Chinese bishop of Hong Kong appointed to this position, following on from the late Card. John Baptist Wu and Card. Joseph Zen. Bishop Tong will be the only Chinese cardinal eligible to elect a new pope, should there be a conclave. Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun of Hong Kong, emeritus bishop, will turn 80 on Jan. 13, and therefore cannot vote due to the age limit. Cardinal Paul Shan of Kaohsiung, Taiwan, also retired, is now 90 years Bishop Tong stands for the principles of the Church, just as Cardinal Zen does. On normalizing relations between the Holy See and China, he added, “one should not overdo the importance of the role of Hong Kong, since all decisions are made in Rome. Hong Kong is a Bridge Church and a meeting point for the two sides,” he said.