Cardinal, 90, criticises Beijing after HK protest court hearing

AN ELDERLY Hong Kong cardinal led an anti-beijing mass hours after appearing in court for funding pro-democracy protests.

Cardinal Joseph Zen is charged with failing to properly register a protest defence fund, after he was initially arrested under the city’s national security law.

The 90-year-old cardinal, one of Asia’s highest-ranking Catholic clerics, was among five prominent democracy advocates – including activist and singer Denise Ho and veteran human rights barrister Margaret Ng – who were detained earlier this month.

The group acted as trustees of a nowdefunct fund that helped pay legal and medical costs for those arrested during democracy protests three years ago.

They were arrested for “conspiracy to collude with foreign forces” but have not yet been charged with that offence, which can carry a life sentence under the security law imposed by Beijing in 2020.

Instead, all five of the fund’s former trustees and its secretary were charged yesterday with failing to register it as a “society” with police – a non-national security offence that can incur a fine of up to $10,000 Hong Kong dollars (£1,017) for a first conviction.

Each of the defendants, apart from activist Cyd Ho, who is serving a jail term for unauthorised assembly, was in court yesterday. All entered a plea of not guilty.

By the evening, Cardinal Zen was preaching to hundreds of Catholics who had queued to watch him hold mass at the Holy Cross Church in the east of Hong Kong Island.

He dedicated the mass to churches in China, where millions cannot freely practise their belief under the officially atheist Communist Party, which exercises strict control over all recognised religious institutions.

In his sermon, the cardinal again criticised a deal between China and the Vatican that allows Beijing to nominate bishops for the Pope’s approval, calling it “unwise”, despite being made with “good intention”.