Bishops of Shanghai, Hong Kong unite in prayer for pope’s recovery

The bishops of the Dioceses of Shanghai and Hong Kong prayed together for Pope Francis' speedy recovery from double pneumonia.

Shanghai Bishop Joseph Shen Bin and Hong Kong Bishop Stephen Cardinal Chow led the congregation in praying for the Holy Father’s health at the Shrine of Our Lady of Sheshan in Shanghai.

The prayer brigade, led by the two bishops, occurred during Cardinal Chow’s five-day visit to the Diocese of Shanghai. The goal was to further deepen the mutual understanding between their two Catholic communities.

Bishop Shen and Cardinal Chow also concelebrated a Holy Mass at the shrine. “This experience was truly unique,” Cardinal Chow told Hong Kong’s Sunday Examiner. “I was sincerely touched and found myself in tears during the prayer. This place is immensely important for the Church in China, and it was significant to pray for the Holy Father together with Bishop Shen.”

The cardinal's visit was a follow-up to his trips to Beijing and Guangdong in the past two years, which also aim to foster deeper connections between their respective dioceses and promote interreligious dialogue efforts.

This year, after the Beijing government transferred the prelate to Shanghai, he decided to visit Bishop Shen to show his solidarity. This action caused a rift between the Chinese authorities and the Vatican, but it was finally resolved by Pope Francis with the ratification of Bishop Shen’s appointment.

Furthermore, Bishop Shen serves as president of the Chinese Bishops’ Council, the government-recognized collegial body of China.

Aside from their prayer service and concelebrated Mass at the Shrine of Our Lady of Sheshan, Cardinal Chow and his delegation visited the Songjiang Mosque, the Centre for the Practice of Christian Sinicization, the Longhua Buddhist Temple, and the Cheng-huang Taoist Temple.

Cardinal Chow noted that the Diocese of Shanghai maintains a delicate balance between the Church and civil society.

“I believe the Shanghai diocese appreciated our visit, and I look forward to a reciprocal visit to the Hong Kong diocese in the future,” he said.

Moreover, the cardinal urged Catholics in Hong Kong to embrace “an open and collaborative spirit” when approaching dialogue with different Church and social sectors.