Cardinal Zen celebrates Latin Mass, leads Eucharistic procession for Corpus Christi in Hong Kong
Cardinal Joseph Zen celebrated the Traditional Latin Mass and led a Eucharistic procession in Hong Kong for Corpus Christi, emphasizing the resilience of Chinese Catholics and sending a message to both Chinese authorities and Pope Leo XIV.
Cardinal Joseph ZenVatican News, Unsplash
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Thu Jun 26, 2025 - 1:41 pm EDT
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HONG KONG (LifeSiteNews) — Cardinal Joseph Zen celebrated the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) and led a Eucharistic procession for Corpus Christi.
On June 22, 93-year-old Cardinal Zen, the retired bishop of Hong Kong, led a procession through the streets of Hong Kong after celebrating the Latin Mass for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi.
“We celebrate the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, a feast the Church established precisely so that the faithful might allow God to enter more deeply into their daily lives through the Holy Eucharist,” Cardinal Zen boldly wrote in a post on X.
“After celebrating the Tridentine Mass (Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite) at Mary Help of Christians Parish in Hong Kong, I led a Eucharistic procession, bringing the Holy Eucharist out of the church and through the streets of the campus,” he continued.
In his post, which his close friends have said sends a message to both Chinese authorities and Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Zen highlighted the resilience and dedication of Chineses Catholics as well as his devotion to the TLM.
Cdl. Zen was an outspoken critic of many elements of Pope Francis’ pontificate, including on issues such as same-sex “blessings,” the Synod on Synodality, restrictions of the Traditional Latin Mass, and the Vatican’s deal with China on the appointment of bishops.
Cardinal Zen also offered a reflection on the feast celebrating Christ present in the Holy Eucharist, saying, “Jesus is truly Emmanuel—God with us. He so desires to be with us that He left us this marvelous Sacrament, offering Himself under the appearance of bread and wine for us to eat and drink. The food we eat becomes part of our body, but when we receive Jesus, we become His Body.”
“Sometimes we say, ‘Let us not leave Jesus alone in the tabernacle.’ Of course, this is a figurative way of speaking,” he continued.
“When Jesus revealed His Sacred Heart, He said, ‘This heart has loved men so much, yet is so little loved in return,'” Cdl. Zen declared. “As though He needs our consolation. In truth, it is not Jesus who needs us—but He knows that we need Him. To forget Jesus is our greatest loss.”
The relationship between the Catholic Church and Communist China is highly controversial thanks to the Sino-Vatican deal, signed in 2018 and renewed until 2028 last autumn by Pope Francis. The officially secret deal is believed to recognize the state-approved church organization in China and allows the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to appoint bishops.
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The Pope apparently maintains veto power, although in practice it is the CCP that has control, as has been repeatedly evidenced on numerous occasions, including in recent weeks. It also allegedly allows for the removal of legitimate bishops to be replaced by CCP-approved bishops.
This has led local Catholics to suffer increased persecution as the Chinese authorities increasingly pressurize them to join the schismatic, state-approved “church” rather than remain loyal to Rome and the Catholic faith.
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TAGGED AS
• Cardinal Joseph Zen
• Cardinal Zen
• Corpus Christi
• Corpus Christi procession
• Diocese of Hong Kong
• Eucharistic Procession
• Hong Kong
• Latin Mass
• Mary Help of Christians Parish
• Solemnity of Corpus Christi
• TLM
• Traditional Latin Mass
• Traditional Latin Mass (TLM)
Cardinal Joseph Zen celebrated the Traditional Latin Mass and led a Eucharistic procession in Hong Kong for Corpus Christi, emphasizing the resilience of Chinese Catholics and sending a message to both Chinese authorities and Pope Leo XIV.
Cardinal Joseph ZenVatican News, Unsplash
- 6
Thu Jun 26, 2025 - 1:41 pm EDT
Listen to this article
3 min
HONG KONG (LifeSiteNews) — Cardinal Joseph Zen celebrated the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) and led a Eucharistic procession for Corpus Christi.
On June 22, 93-year-old Cardinal Zen, the retired bishop of Hong Kong, led a procession through the streets of Hong Kong after celebrating the Latin Mass for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi.
“We celebrate the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, a feast the Church established precisely so that the faithful might allow God to enter more deeply into their daily lives through the Holy Eucharist,” Cardinal Zen boldly wrote in a post on X.
“After celebrating the Tridentine Mass (Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite) at Mary Help of Christians Parish in Hong Kong, I led a Eucharistic procession, bringing the Holy Eucharist out of the church and through the streets of the campus,” he continued.
In his post, which his close friends have said sends a message to both Chinese authorities and Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Zen highlighted the resilience and dedication of Chineses Catholics as well as his devotion to the TLM.
Cdl. Zen was an outspoken critic of many elements of Pope Francis’ pontificate, including on issues such as same-sex “blessings,” the Synod on Synodality, restrictions of the Traditional Latin Mass, and the Vatican’s deal with China on the appointment of bishops.
Cardinal Zen also offered a reflection on the feast celebrating Christ present in the Holy Eucharist, saying, “Jesus is truly Emmanuel—God with us. He so desires to be with us that He left us this marvelous Sacrament, offering Himself under the appearance of bread and wine for us to eat and drink. The food we eat becomes part of our body, but when we receive Jesus, we become His Body.”
“Sometimes we say, ‘Let us not leave Jesus alone in the tabernacle.’ Of course, this is a figurative way of speaking,” he continued.
“When Jesus revealed His Sacred Heart, He said, ‘This heart has loved men so much, yet is so little loved in return,'” Cdl. Zen declared. “As though He needs our consolation. In truth, it is not Jesus who needs us—but He knows that we need Him. To forget Jesus is our greatest loss.”
The relationship between the Catholic Church and Communist China is highly controversial thanks to the Sino-Vatican deal, signed in 2018 and renewed until 2028 last autumn by Pope Francis. The officially secret deal is believed to recognize the state-approved church organization in China and allows the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to appoint bishops.
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The Pope apparently maintains veto power, although in practice it is the CCP that has control, as has been repeatedly evidenced on numerous occasions, including in recent weeks. It also allegedly allows for the removal of legitimate bishops to be replaced by CCP-approved bishops.
This has led local Catholics to suffer increased persecution as the Chinese authorities increasingly pressurize them to join the schismatic, state-approved “church” rather than remain loyal to Rome and the Catholic faith.
TOPICS
TAGGED AS
- Cardinal Joseph Zen
- Cardinal Zen
- Corpus Christi
- Corpus Christi procession
- Diocese of Hong Kong
- Eucharistic Procession
- Hong Kong
- Latin Mass
- Mary Help of Christians Parish
- Solemnity of Corpus Christi
- TLM
- Traditional Latin Mass
- Traditional Latin Mass (TLM)
