HONG KONG (AP) 鈥 The head of the Catholic church in China began a trip to Hong Kong on Tuesday at the invitation of the city鈥檚 pope-appointed Roman Catholic cardinal, marking the first official visit by a Beijing bishop in history.
Joseph Li, who was installed by China鈥檚 state-controlled Catholic church as an archbishop, visited the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in the morning, public broadcaster RTHK said.
Li鈥檚 five-day tour came after the city鈥檚 newly installed Cardinal Stephen Chow invited him to visit Hong Kong during a landmark trip to Beijing in April 鈥 the to the Chinese capital by the city鈥檚 bishop in nearly three decades. Experts said the invitation was a symbolic gesture that could strengthen the fragile relationship between China and the Vatican.
Earlier this month, Chow said his job is to foster better communication between the sides, and of human connections when asked about the significance of Li鈥檚 visit.
The Hong Kong diocese said Li would meet with Chow and 鈥渄ifferent diocesan offices to promote exchanges and interactions between the two dioceses.鈥 It said this is the first time a Beijing bishop has officially visited Hong Kong, without disclosing further details about Li鈥檚 trip.
Li took part in an evening prayer service at a chapel on Monday and exchanged gifts with Chow, according to Sunday Examiner, a publication operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong. It added Li would visit educational organizations and the Holy Spirit Seminary.
Beijing and the Vatican severed diplomatic ties in 1951 following the Communist Party鈥檚 rise to power and the expulsion of foreign priests. Since the break in ties, Catholics in China have been divided between those who belong to an official, state-sanctioned church and those in an underground church loyal to the pope. The Vatican recognizes members of both as Catholics but claims the exclusive right to choose bishops.
The installation of Li in 2007, however, was well-regarded by the Vatican and church officials at that time said it was done with its approval.
The Vatican and China signed an accord in 2018 over the thorny issue of bishop nominations, but Beijing has violated it. Most recently Pope Francis was of a new bishop of Shanghai.
Francis in September insisted that the Vatican鈥檚 but said work must still be done to show Beijing that the Catholic church isn鈥檛 beholden to a foreign power. During his trip to Mongolia that month, he also sent to China鈥檚 鈥渘oble鈥 people, giving them a special shout-out at the end of a Mass.
The 2018 agreement has been harshly criticized by Hong Kong Cardinal Joseph Zen, who in May last year on suspicion of colluding with foreign forces under a Beijing-imposed national security law that jailed or silenced many activists. He was released on bail and has yet to be formally charged, but he and five others in a separate case last November for failing to register a now-defunct fund set up to help arrested protesters.
