In mainland China, where information about Tiananmen is heavily censored, people have never been allowed to hold official commemorations of what is known as the “June 4 incident.” Hong Kong, however, which is a special administrative region of China, has long held annual candlelight vigils to commemorate the victims; Chow has said that he has in the past taken part in these commemorations.
In 2020, Chinese authorities forbade the commemorations amid the pandemic, though thousands defied the order. Protests in Hong Kong to mark Tiananmen have been heavily curtailed since then. According to the Associated Press, Hong Kong police have already arrested seven people on suspicion of alleged sedition over their posting of social media content about commemorating Tiananmen.
Referring to “the life-sapping event that took place 35 years ago in the capital city,” Chow, who was appointed to the Diocese of Hong Kong in 2021, said the incident “remains unsettling for many” and “left a deep wound in parts of our psyche, though it has been buried and scarred over.”
“Our God is a God of unconditional love. His forgiveness is always available for those who need it but are not yet courageous enough to ask for it. God’s unconditional love for us is overwhelmingly expressed through the passion and death of his only Son, even when we are living in a state of unconfessed sinfulness,” Chow continued.
“Thankfully, it is through this self-sacrificial act of love that we are aware of our need for God’s forgiveness. And with the resurrection of the Son, we can enjoy a new beginning. Precisely because God’s forgiveness does not require our repentance, we can also learn to proactively forgive. Even though to forgive does not mean to forget, it does offer a precondition for our inner freedom and a brighter future for all.”
Beijing has in recent years tightened control over Hong Kong and cracked down on dissent and the free practice of religion. Several prominent Catholic figures have been arrested for apparent violations of new security laws, including Catholic media mogul Jimmy Lai.
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