Bishop's historic official trip
The head of China's Catholic church started a trip to Hong Kong on Tuesday at the invitation of the city's pope-appointed Roman Catholic cardinal, marking it the first official visit by a Beijing bishop in history. (Image: AP)
Visit to Cathedral of Immaculate Conception
Joseph Li, appointed by China's state-controlled Catholic church as an archbishop, visited the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in the morning, as reported by public broadcaster RTHK. (Image: AP)
Cardinal Stephen Chow's invitation
Li's visit, spanning five days, followed an invitation extended by the recently appointed Cardinal Stephen Chow of Hong Kong. This invitation transpired during Cardinal Chow's significant journey to Beijing in April. (Image: AP)
Invitation to strengthen China-Vatican ties
Experts said that the special invitation was a symbolic gesture that could strengthen the fragile relationship between China and the Vatican.This is, in fact, the first visit to the Chinese capital by the city's bishop in nearly three decades. (Representative image: PTI)
Interactions between two dioceses
The Hong Kong diocese announced that Li is scheduled to engage in meetings with Chow and “different diocesan offices to promote exchanges and interactions between the two dioceses”. This marks the inaugural official visit of a Beijing bishop to Hong Kong, with no additional details about Li's trip disclosed. (Image: AP)
Chow emphasizes communication during visit
Stephen Chow stated recently that his role involves enhancing communication between the two sides, emphasizing the value of human connections when discussing the importance of Li's visit. (Image: Twitter/@TheChurchInAsia)
Li joins evening prayer service
On Monday, Li participated in an evening prayer service at a chapel and exchanged gifts with Chow, as reported by Sunday Examiner, a publication affiliated with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong. It also mentioned that Li would also visit educational institutions and the Holy Spirit Seminary. (Image: AFP)
Challenges in Vatican-China relations
In 2018, the Vatican and China reached an agreement on the sensitive matter of bishop nominations. However, China has breached the accord, evidenced by Pope Francis being compelled to accept the independent appointment of a new bishop in Shanghai. Pope Francis recently emphasized the need to demonstrate to Beijing that the Catholic Church is not under the influence of any foreign power. (Image: AFP)
China-Vatican relations: A historical divide
Diplomatic relations between Beijing and the Vatican were severed in 1951 after the Communist Party came to power and foreign priests were expelled. Since then, China's Catholic community has been split between adherents of the state-sanctioned official church and those of an underground church that remains loyal to the pope. (Representative image: PTI)
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