Tragic
tmes and Golden Ages: Cardinal Zen's 80th birthday
HONG KONG:
14 January 2012 --
Friday, January 13, 2012, has been a busy 80th Birthday for
Cardinal
Joseph Zen, Bishop Emeritus of Hong Kong. In the morning he
celebrated
the Thanksgiving Mass in the intimacy of his Salesian
community in Shau
Kei Wan. The Gospel about the cripple brought to Jesus by four
friends
prompted him to thank the four persons who brought him to
Jesus: his
father and mother, his parish priest, and the priest principal
of his
primary school. The First Reading about King Saul reminded him
of how
50 years ago or so, in Shanghai, Bishop Ignatius Kung, dragged
before a
microphone by his persecutors, cried: “Long live Christ the
King!”, a
cry echoed by numerous young members of the Legion of Mary
present in
the assembly. The Mass was followed by a high breakfast during
which
his confreres were the first to sing “Happy Birthday!”
At midday and in the afternoon Cardinal Joseph Zen was feted
at the
Diocesan Centre by newly-named Cardinal John Tong, Bishop of
Hong Kong,
and many diocesan priests. Someone there pointed out that the
Cardinal’s time-span of 80 years began with a tragedy (the
beginning of
China’s disastrous invasion by a neighbouring power) and is
now
continuing through this year 2012 full of uncertainties and
turmoil. A
tragic life-span, then? Cardinal Joseph Zen thinks somewhat
differently. While he admits that on the macro-level his 80
years
witnessed immense tragedies, on the micro-level of family,
school,
religious community, and educational-pastoral work his 80
years saw a
whole series of “golden ages”. By “golden ages” the Cardinal
means
periods of intense faith, hope, and love, expressed in prayer
and
service, and marked by admirable persons like his parents, his
parish
priest and primary school principal, Fr. Carlo Braga and other
Superiors, Fr. Egidio Viganò and Cardinal Tomko who
encouraged his work
in Mainland, Pope John Paul II who called him to be a bishop,
and Pope
Benedict XVI who called him to be a cardinal of Holy Roman
Church.
In the evening, the whole Salesian Family of Hong Kong and
Macau (but
Taiwan and Mainland had also some representatives) capped the
Cardinal’s 80th birthday celebration with a moment of intense
prayer
and with a warm family agape. First, at the Mary Help of
Christians
Parish in Kowloon, an Evening Prayer service with Adoration of
the
Blessed Sacrament and Benediction was held, animated by Sc.
Carlos
Cheung Sam Ioi and his altar boys and organist. Cardinal Zen
explained
why we should thank God for our life: “Life is precious! It
comes from
God, our loving father. God planned our life from all
eternity. How
precious life is! Let us continue to bear witness to this,
against the
‘culture of death’ that surrounds us”.
After the prayer, the 200 members of the Salesian Family
(Salesians,
Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, Cooperator Salesians,
Announcers
of the Lord, Volunteers of Don Bosco, Past-Pupils and numerous
boys
from our schools) moved to a nearby restaurant for a supper
organized
by the Salesian Past Pupils and brightened up by songs and
sharings.
The Salesian Provincial, Fr. Simon Lam, besides offering two
beautiful
Chinese songs, encouraged all present to show gratitude to
Cardinal Zen
by imitating his staunch fidelity to the Church.
