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STRASBOURG, France (LifeSiteNews) — The European Parliament passed a resolution on Thursday urging the Vatican “to give full support to Cardinal [Joseph] Zen” after he was arrested by Chinese authorities in May.
In the now-passed resolution, the European Parliament formally condemned the arrests of Zen and his fellow pro-democracy advocates affiliated with the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund while calling for all charges to be dropped against the high-ranking prelate.
The parliament also called on the Vatican to “give full support” to Zen while saying now is the time for the Church to “strengthen its diplomatic efforts and its leverage on the Chinese authorities.”
As reported by LifeSiteNews, Zen, 90, was arrested by Hong Kong police under the terms of the 2020 national security law back in May, and is currently out on bail as he awaits trial.
Zen has long been an outspoken critic of Hong Kong’s draconian national security law and is a trustee for the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund, which was established to offer “legal, medical, psychological and emergency financial assistance” to those involved in the 2019 protests against the government’s Extradition Law Amendment Bill, which would allow prisoners to be transferred to China for trial.
The national security law was enacted June 30, 2020, prompting mass protests among residents, and has been widely criticized by many, including pro-abortion Amnesty International. According to the BBC, the still-secret law “criminalize[s] secession, subversion and collusion with foreign forces.”
It can also “effectively curtail protests and freedom of speech” and applies to anyone on Hong Kong soil, regardless of citizenship.
Cardinal Zen previously confessed that he was prepared to go to prison under the terms of the new law, saying, “If right and proper words were considered against their law, I will endure all the suing, trials, and arrests.”
The call on the Vatican to support Zen may put Pope Francis in a difficult situation, as Zen has long been a vocal critic and opponent of Francis’ secret deal with China, and has even accused Francis of “encouraging a schism” and “selling out the Catholic Church in China.”
Zen has also suggested that the Vatican’s silence over China’s long record of human rights’ abuses and persecution of the Church was perhaps an attempt “to establish diplomatic relations with (China).”
While many faithful Catholics are concerned for Zen, the Vatican only released a brief statement acknowledging that the Holy See has “learned with concern the news of Cardinal Zen’s arrest and is following the evolution of the situation with extreme attention.”