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

Cardinal Zen allowed to leave Hong Kong for Pope's funeral amid tensions with Chinese authorities.

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.

“Cardinal Zen, a 93-year-old retired bishop, left Hong Kong on Wednesday (April 23, 2025) night after applying at a court to get back his passport,” his secretary told The Associated Press in a text message on Thursday (April 24, 2025.)

Authorities confiscated his passport after his controversial arrest under a Beijing-imposed national security law in 2022.

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Cardinal 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 criticised Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, the official charged with negotiations with Beijing, as a "man of little faith." Mr. Parolin is considered one of the main contenders to be the next Pope, given his prominence in the Catholic hierarchy.

On Tuesday (April 22, 2025), media reports said Cardinal Zen had issued a critique of the Vatican, questioning why pre-conclave meetings started as early as Tuesday (April 22, 2025). The AP could not independently verify the reports, but Cardinal Zen reposted the reporters' posts about his statement on his X account.