Church in Hong Kong expected to remain bridge between Vatican and Beijing

The Hong Kong Catholic Church has said it will continue to serve as a bridge between mainland China and the Holy See, while observers expect the local diocese to further foster the more harmonious Sino-Vatican ties built by Pope Francis, who died on Monday.

Expressing condolences over the pope’s death, foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Tuesday that Beijing and the Vatican had maintained constructive contact and conducted friendly exchanges, and the central government was willing to work with the Holy See to promote the continued improvement of relations.

Dr Anthony Lam Sui-ki, a former researcher of the Catholic diocese’s Holy Spirit Study Centre in the city, said he expected the Hong Kong church’s voice to get bigger in the Vatican leadership under the next pope.

“No matter who becomes the next pope, the Vatican and Beijing will be moving towards a more harmonious and conciliatory relationship. It seems to have been the general policy of the Vatican in recent years,” said Lam, an expert in Catholic affairs.

“It is generally believed that the Vatican will hear more about what the Hong Kong diocese would have to say in this respect.”

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Lam also pointed to the warm ties Hong Kong Catholic leader Cardinal Stephen Chow Sau-yan had with the mainland, saying he had helped to foster dialogue and understanding.

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