This month sees the trial in Hong Kong of Cardinal Joseph Zen. He and four defendants face charges of failing properly to register a fund (now defunct) to help anti-government protesters in the island. The 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund was established to help people arrested for taking part in pro-democracy protests in 2019 and was disbanded after the authorities intervened.
This may seem like a minor matter; in practice it is a reflection of the importance of the 90-year-old cardinal in the eyes of the mainline Chinese authorities who are exercising increasingly repressive policies in respect of religion in Hong Kong as well as on the Chinese mainland. The trial of Cardinal Zen and his friends reflects Beijing’s response to his criticisms of the deal between the Chinese government and the Vatican about the appointment of bishops, whereby Rome has the right of veto over bishops appointed by Beijing. The deal was struck in 2018 and renewed for another two years in 2020.
