Pelosi condemns arrest of Cardinal Zen; Chinese government pushes back
May 16, 2022
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CWN Editor's Note: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi strongly criticized the arrest of Cardinal Joseph Zen of Hong Kong.
“Zen is an outspoken champion of democracy in the Catholic community, advocating for religious liberty in Hong Kong and, in 2016, urging the Vatican to reject an agreement that would give the People’s Republic of China say over the ordination of bishops,” Pelosi wrote in a Washington Post op-ed. “But he is not only a leader of Hong Kong’s and other Chinese Catholics.”
“To a broader audience, he is a critical voice of conscience: an embodiment of moral fortitude, who has been a constant presence as Hong Kong has led a decades-long pursuit of the freedoms promised with the handover from British rule,” she continued. “As speaker of the House, I have been blessed to witness Cardinal Zen’s courage and commitment up close.”
The Chinese Foreign Ministry “strongly disapproved and firmly rejected” Pelosi’s article and added, “We urge Nancy Pelosi to immediately withdraw her ‘black hand’ from Hong Kong affairs.”
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