HONG KONG (SE): Joseph Cardinal Zen Ze-kiun expressed his appreciation of the late Bishop Michael Yeung Ming-cheung’s longtime service to Caritas-Hong Kong and his dedication in helping the needy. The cardinal celebrated the vigil Mass and concelebrated the funeral Mass for the bishop on January 10 and 11.
 
He told the Kung Kao Po on January 12 that he and Bishop Yeung were good friends. He recounts that the late bishop was once his student and that, as his teacher, he knew that they had some shared history as they both came from Shanghai and were graduates of Tang King Po School, Kowloon. He said that when the bishop was a student, he was well-loved by priests and was like a family member to him.
 
Cardinal Zen said he, like the late bishop, is a big supporter of Caritas. “I appreciate the work of Caritas which renders valuable services on behalf of the Church.” 
 
Cardinal Zen defended Bishop Yeung against insinuations that he maintained good relationships with the wealthy for the sake of donations. The cardinal pointed out that it was the bishop’s duty to have good relationships so that the many poor people served by Caritas could be supported.
 
He went on to explain that even St. John Bosco would have kept a good relationship with government officials for the same reason. He quoted the saint as saying that if he needed to remove his hat before the devil so that poor young people could have food to eat, he would do it as showing respect to the devil does not mean following him.
 
“We need to consider our own missions. It is not necessary for everyone in the Church to do the same thing. We have to respect one another. As long as we are not doing anything against truth and justice, there are plenty of things we can do. There is room to be flexible. We can also be united regarding many other issues,” Cardinal Zen said. 
 
Bishop Yeung began working at Caritas in 1990. He was its chief executive from August 2003 until the end of 2014.