Cardinal Zen is one of five pro-democracy activists arrested in Hong Kong in May. According to the indictment, he “conspired with foreign states and powers”. For the funeral of Benedict XVI. he can still travel to Rome.
A 90-year-old Hong Kong cardinal arrested last year for supporting pro-democracy activists has been allowed to attend the funeral of former Pope Benedict XVI. travel to Rome. At a closed-door hearing, a judge ruled that Cardinal Joseph Zen, who is critical of Beijing, can leave Hong Kong for five days and temporarily have his passport returned. Zen, one of Asia’s highest-ranking Catholics, had his passport confiscated by authorities in May over a now-defunct fund supporting pro-democracy activists.
The funeral of Benedict, who died on New Year’s Eve, will take place on Thursday in the Vatican. Benedict elevated Zen to cardinal status in 2006. Ahead of Tuesday’s court hearing, Zen published an article praising the former pope for his contributions to the Chinese Church and as a “great defender of the truth.”
Cardinal Zen was one of five democracy activists arrested in May on charges of “conspiring with foreign states and powers”. The group had funded Hong Kong residents arrested during pro-democracy protests three years ago.
In 2020, the so-called security law was passed in the former British crown colony of Hong Kong, as a result of which the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong were stopped. When Britain returned Hong Kong in 1997, Beijing agreed to respect the democratic freedoms that prevailed there for another 50 years, based on the “one country, two systems” principle.
Critics accuse Beijing of suppressing these freedoms with the “security law”. Many democracy activists are now in prison or have fled abroad.
