Bishop Stephen Chow S.J. of Hong Kong was elevated to the rank of cardinal by Pope Francis during a ceremony at St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City on September 30, 2023. Dr. Simon Koo, the Executive Director of The Beijing Center, was invited to Vatican City to celebrate Cardinal Chow’s elevation.
In their discussions, Cardinal Chow underscored the pivotal role of the Church in Hong Kong as a bridge. He emphasized that not only the Church in Hong Kong but every individual serves as a bridge connecting the world. In the current context of a divided global society, individuals often pursue their individual interests. To be a bridge means to lead people to cooperate for mutual benefit rather than work in isolation. A bridge gathers people, helps them discover common ground, and motivates collective efforts towards creating a better world.
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During his visit, Simon engaged in a conversation with Antonio Spadaro S.J., the former editor-in-chief of the Jesuits’ biweekly review, La Civiltà Cattolica, and the undersecretary for the Vatican’s Dicastery for Culture and Education.
Simon also had a meeting with The Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, a dicastery of the Roman Curia. In this meeting, Simon shared insights into the current situations in China, offering the organization a deeper understanding of Chinese society.
It was an honor and a privilege to be able to speak to so many and share these incredible moments with both old and new friends of TBC.
Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in a volunteering activity that left a deep impression on me. It was a day dedicated to cultural exchange, creativity, and a wonderful reminder of the vibrancy of tradition — both Chinese and beyond.
The past few weekends have been some of the most exciting of the entire semester, full of trips to the zoo, mountain hikes, ancient parks, and more! Our first trip out of many was a visit to the Beijing Zoo. I had mentioned earlier in the semester that I wanted to see some pandas, since I was in China after all, and our TBC friend Andy made it happen.