Joseph Zen, a prominent Catholic cardinal from Hong Kong known for his outspoken criticism of Beijing, has been granted temporary permission to leave the city and attend Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican.
Zen, the 93-year-old bishop emeritus, departed Hong Kong on Wednesday night after a court approved the return of his passport, which had been confiscated following his controversial arrest under China’s national security law in 2022. His secretary confirmed the departure in a text message to The Associated Press on Thursday.
In recent years, Zen has been a vocal critic of the agreement between the Vatican and the Chinese government regarding the appointment of bishops, describing it as a betrayal of Chinese Catholics loyal to Rome. He has also publicly criticized Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, calling him “a man of little faith.” Parolin is seen as one of the leading contenders to succeed Pope Francis as head of the Catholic Church.
Reports on Tuesday indicated that Zen had voiced disapproval of the Vatican for starting pre-conclave meetings early. While the could not independently verify those statements, Zen reshared posts from journalists on his X account echoing his alleged remarks. Due to his age, Zen will not be eligible to vote in the conclave, as he exceeds the age limit for voting cardinals.
He is expected to return to Hong Kong after the funeral, which is scheduled for Saturday, though the exact date of his return remains unclear.
This is not the first time Zen has had to seek court approval to travel. In 2023, he went through a similar process to attend the funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, during which he had a private audience with Pope Francis.
Zen’s 2022 arrest under suspicion of collusion with foreign forces shocked the global Catholic community. Although he has not been formally charged under the national security law, he and five others were fined that same year for failing to register a now-defunct fund meant to assist protesters arrested during the 2019 pro-democracy demonstrations. An appeal hearing for the conviction is scheduled for December.
Meanwhile, the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong announced that Cardinal Stephen Chow will also travel to the Vatican to attend the conclave.
In 2023, Chow invited a Beijing bishop—appointed archbishop by China’s state-sanctioned Catholic Church—to visit Hong Kong, marking the first official visit by a Beijing-based prelate to the city. Analysts viewed the gesture as a symbolic step that could help strengthen the fragile ties between China and the Holy See.
Diplomatic relations between Beijing and the Vatican were severed after the Communist Party took power in China and expelled foreign priests. Since then, Chinese Catholics have been divided between a state-approved official church and an underground church loyal to the pope. The Vatican recognizes members of both communities as Catholics but insists that the exclusive right to appoint bishops belongs to Rome.
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