Hong Kong allows outspoken Cardinal Joseph Zen to attend Pope Francis' funeral

Hong Kong’s outspoken Roman Catholic Cardinal Joseph Zen was allowed to leave the southern Chinese city to attend Pope Francis’ funeral in Vatican City.
HONG KONG — Hong Kong’s outspoken Roman Catholic Cardinal Joseph Zen was allowed to leave the Chinese territory to attend Pope Francis’ funeral in Vatican City.
Zen, a 93-year-old retired bishop, left Hong Kong on Wednesday night after applying at a court to get back his passport, his secretary told The Associated Press in a text message on Thursday. Authorities confiscated his passport after his controversial arrest under a Beijing-imposed national security law in 2022.
Zen is among the critics in recent years who have said the Vatican’s agreement with Chinese authorities on the appointment of bishops betrays pro-Vatican Chinese Catholics. He has also criticized Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, the official charged with negotiations with Beijing, as a “man of little faith.”
Parolin is considered one of the main contenders to be the next pope, given his prominence in the Catholic hierarchy.
On Tuesday, media reports said Zen had issued a critique of the Vatican, questioning why pre-conclave meetings started as early as Tuesday. The AP could not independently verify the reports, but Zen reposted the reporters’ posts about his statement on his X account.
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