The imprisonment of Hong Kong Catholic media mogul Jimmy Lai has again drawn international attention after Pope Leo XIV declined to comment on his case.
Jimmy Lai, the founder of the now-closed pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, is serving a 20-year sentence after being convicted under Hong Kong’s national security law of collusion and sedition. The 77-year-old convert to Catholicism has spent more than five years in custody and now faces what critics describe as an effective life sentence.
Asked directly about Lai’s imprisonment as he left Villa Barberini in Castel Gandolfo last night, Pope Leo XIV replied: “I can’t comment on that.” He added: “We must pray for peace, work for peace and reduce hatred. Hatred is constantly increasing in the world. We must seek to promote dialogue and find solutions.”
