The leader of Hong Kong's Catholic Church, Cardinal Joseph Zen, urged on the eve of his retirement for people to judge him by his faith rather than his successes, local media reported."I might have achieved little. But people should stand firm on their principles," the 77-year-old reportedly said at a farewell press conference after leading his last Easter liturgy Thursday night.
"I have many hopes, but now it's time to say goodbye," he said according to the South China Morning Post.
The Shanghai-born cardinal, well-known for standing up to the authorities and his outspoken calls for democracy, will retire this month after serving as a bishop for 12 years.
He will be succeeded by Coadjutor Bishop John Tong.
Zen said he would continue to actively defend religious freedom in China and fight for the vindication for those killed in the 1989 crackdown on democracy protests in Beijing's Tiananmen Square.
"China affairs, June 4, will be the matters I will continue to care about," he reportedly told the press.
He said he would comment less on Hong Kong issues.
However, he expressed hopes the city's Chief Executive Donald Tsang, a devout Catholic, would have the "wisdom" to create a society where there would "no longer be an ugly trend of toadying to the powerful while despising the weak".
Zen revealed in December that he had finally been granted the approval of Pope Benedict XVI to retire after his request had been turned down twice previously.
A spokesman for his office told AFP Friday that the cardinal was still waiting for the Vatican to announce his retirement date later this month.
Zen, head of the territory's 250,000 Catholics since 2002, has not been afraid to criticise China, even while the Vatican has moved to improve diplomatic ties with Beijing.
The Holy See has long been at odds with the mainland over who controls the booming Catholic church in the world's most populous nation.
The Vatican wants all Chinese Catholics -- currently divided between an "official" Church sanctioned by Beijing and an underground one loyal to the Vatican -- to be brought under papal authority.
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(Source: AP)