HONG KONG (SE/KKP): Hong Kong’s six major religious communities—Catholic, Buddhist, Taoist, Confucian, Muslim, and Protestant—jointly celebrated the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, with the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong serving as the event organiser this year.
Gathering on September 17 at Baden-Powell International House, Kowloon, the religious leaders were joined by guests of honour, Alice Mak, secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, as well as Zhu Wen, director general of the Coordination Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government.
Delivering the welcoming address, Cardinal Stephen Chow, S.J., outlined the Catholic Church’s vision for its role within the nation and local society.
“Guided by Jesus’s ‘leaven spirit,’ the Catholic Church is actively integrating into the culture of China, collaborating with the mainland Church to advance the sinicisation and inculturation of Catholicism,” he said.
Cardinal Stephen highlighted the Church’s commitment to synodality and its alignment with the national 15th Five-Year Plan regarding religious freedom and sinicisation. Reflecting on the 48-year legacy of community service by the Colloquium of Six Religious Leaders of Hong Kong, he urged all sectors to cooperate in a spirit of solidarity.
Quoting Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, he emphasised the Church’s contribution to fostering a just society with fraternal bonds, inviting all communities to help build a “community with a shared future for mankind.”
Furthermore, he called on the six faiths to respect each other, deepen dialogue, and work together for the nation’s and Hong Kong’s prosperity.
Father Edward Chau King-fun, chairperson of the Diocesan Commission for Interreligious Dialogue, later read a joint congratulatory message affirming that the nation’s 15th Five-Year Plan improves livelihoods. The leaders pledged to uphold true faith, practise charity, fulfil civic duties, love God and neighbour, and unite to guard their Hong Kong home and build a harmonious society.
Reverend Tim Lam Chun, chairperson of Hong Kong Christian Council, noted in his message that the nation’s promotion of peaceful development and cooperation echoes Christianity’s core spirit of pursuing peace, mutual love, and justice.
Religious leaders delivering speeches at the conference that day also included Venerable Kuan Yun, president of the Hong Kong Buddhist Association; Tong Yun-kai, president of the Confucian Academy; Cheung Tai-yan, vice chairperson of the Chinese Muslim Cultural and Fraternal Association; and Leung Tak-wah, chairman of the Hong Kong Taoist Association.
