austraLasia #2988
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.
Tragic tmes and Golden Ages: Cardinal Zen's 80th 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.
