Catholic schools threatened.

Hong Kong -- Bishop Joseph Zen Ze-kium is one of the territory's most outspoken critics of its Legislative Council (LegCo) and of its Beijing controllers. On June 4 Bishop Zen presided over a prayer meeting commemorating the 1989 Tianamen Square massacre in Beijing. Condemning the likely postponement of universal suffrage, he advised that democracy and freedom in Hong Kong should not be taken for Bishop Joseph Zen granted.

An aspect of freedom of particular concern to the bishop is that of education. Hong Kong Anglicans had joined Catholics to Oppose Education Bill 2002, approved by LegCo in early July. The bill required publictly-funded schools to set up their own school management committees as a legal entity distinct from their Sponsoring Bodies (SBs). Obviously the SBs will lose much of their autonomy under this new system, particularly with regard to curriculum content.

As the Catholic diocese of Hong Kong has historically been one of the prime SBs, Bishop Zen has good reason to see this bill as a threat, not only to Catholic education, but also to the Church's influence in the territory.

In the 19th century, Christian denominations set up many schools in Hong Kong using their own financial resources. Under the British, many schools entered into partnerships with the government, which aided them with subsidies and imposed basic regulations, a system which has worked well. The Hong Kong diocese runs over 300 schools and colleges whose standards are nationally accepted as of superior level; many local political and business leaders received their education in their halls. The diocese intends to continue fulfilling its educational responsibilities in the territory "until and unless forced out of it" (Zenit).

In April, China did allow the head of the Catholic Church in Hong Kong to go to his hometown of Shanghai, lifting a six-year ban on one of Beijing's most persistent critics. Bishop Zen met with government officials and Shanghai's bishop Aloysius Jin Luxian during a three-day trip. The report did not say what was discussed during the meetings (Zenit, March 9, 11; April 19; May 4, 2004).