The Catholic Church in Hong Kong has slammed chief executive
candidate Carrie Lam over her pledge to study the possibility of
launching a “religious affairs unit” to coordinate religious policies.
The idea received opposition among Christian groups and election committee members.
Lam, a Catholic herself, then told Ming Pao in an interview that the proposal could be abandoned or put aside after the study is completed.
The Diocese said Lam’s reply “will definitely arouse local Christians
to have concerns over freedom of religion in Hong Kong.”
It urged Lam
to remove the relevant points in her manifesto, with Cardinal John Tong
writing a letter to Lam on Thursday expressing the Diocese’s “resolute
opposition.”