Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun of Hong Kong is undergoing treatment for various ailments including breathing difficulties after he fell sick following his return from Pope Benedict XVI’s funeral in Rome in January, reports say.
The 90-year-old former bishop of Hong Kong, known for his strong advocacy for social justice and democracy in the city and a staunch critic of China’s communist regime, was in Rome for four days with special permission from a court.
In a blog post on Jan. 31, Cardinal Zen revealed that he has been ill with shoulder inflammation, backache, and numbness in his hands before he left for Rome but he did not want to miss the funeral of the late pope on Jan. 5.
“The funeral of Pope Benedict is very important to me; and like a miracle, God allowed me to go to Rome to attend,” the prelate said in the post titled “Letter to Inmates.”
He stated that at the Vatican he “represented the whole of Hong Kong and the whole of China, expressing our [China & Hong Kong’s] respect and love to Pope Benedict XVI.”
Upon his return he stayed for ten days at the infirmary in Holy Spirit Seminary, Hong Kong while undergoing treatment, he stated in the blog post.
“Because I have been staying in the hospital, you have not heard much about me until today,” Cardinal Zen said.
His condition worsened on Jan 22, the first day of the Lunar New Year, and was hospitalized after increased inflammation in his hands and physical discomfort.
The cardinal said he had lungs infections in 2016, forcing him to stay in the hospital for three weeks
“On the night of the first day of the new year, I even started to have difficulty breathing, which reminded me of the germs that attacked my lungs in 2016, which made me nervous, and decided to go to the hospital. Fortunately, after the examination, no germs were found,” he added.
Reportedly, the prelate had taken up prison ministry for the past 10 years and was working among the prisoners baptizing many.
Despite his illness, Cardinal Zen said he is not separated from prisoners whom he used to visit regularly.
“But don't forget that we will never be separated in prayer. I will continue to pray for you, and please remember me in your prayers,” he said.
In May last year, Cardinal Zen and five others were arrested on a charge of “colluding with foreign forces” by Hong Kong’s national security police. He was soon released on bail amid global outrage.
However, his passport like his co-defendants was confiscated by the authorities.
In November 2022, Cardinal Zen and five others were fined HK$4,000 (US$500) for failing to properly register a now-defunct 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund as a society. The fund had helped pay medical and legal costs for pro-democracy protesters arrested and injured during the 2019 unrest.
The fund disbanded in October 2021 after national security police demanded its operational details, including information about its donors and beneficiaries.
While Cardinal Zen remains hospitalized, the largest trial against 47 pro-democracy activists under the draconian security law started in Hong Kong on Feb. 6.
Salesian Cardinal Zen served as the bishop of Hong Kong from 2002 to 2009 and was made a cardinal in 2006.
He is widely known for his social activism and advocacy in social movements, he publicly stood for democratic values until the National Security Law was introduced in 2020.
He has long been a target of the CCP for his opposition to the party's policies and crackdowns on human rights and religious freedom in China.
He condemned the Chinese government for the forcible demolition of churches and crosses in various parts of China from 2014 to 2016. He has led Masses for the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre by China’s People’s Liberation Army.