HONG KONG (SE): John Cardinal Tong Hon, the apostolic administrator of Hong Kong, celebrated a special Mass at St. Francis of Assisi Church, Shek Kip Mei at 8.00pm on July 11, to express his closeness and pastoral accompaniment with the people disturbed and upset over the incidents related to the government’s now-suspended extradition bill. Held on the Feast of St. Benedict, it was organised by the Catholic Ad Hoc Group set up by the diocesan chancery to provide support for those affected by the issues related to the extradition bill. 
 

HONG KONG (UCAN): A group of hunger strikers in Hong Kong protesting an extradition bill that would allow the extradition to jurisdictions that Hong Kong does not have an extradition deal with, including mainland China, have vowed to refuse food indefinitely until the government officially withdraws the bill. The protesters include members of religious groups and have been fasting since July 3 on a bridge near the main government building in Admiralty.
 

HONG KONG (SE): Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing has urged people to pray and fast every Friday during this summer holiday in intercession for the present crisis in Hong Kong caused by the now-suspended extradition bill.
 
In a July 12 interview with the online youth forum, Boiling Point, the bishop encouraged people to pray for the city’s young people and to journey with them during the months of July and August. 
 

HONG KONG (SE): Responding to the June 18 apology of Hong Kong’s chief executive, Carrie Lam Chen Yuet-ngor, apology for the disputes and anxiety that resulted from her handling of the controversial extradition bill, John Cardinal Tong Hon, the apostolic administrator of the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong, and Reverend So Shing-yit, chairperson of the Hong Kong Christian Council, issued a statement on July 19 accepting Lam’s personal and public apology along with the admission of her inadequacies. 
 

We were very honoured to be chosen as the representatives of the Diocese of Hong Kong for the International Youth Forum, the June 19 to 22 post-synod Youth  orum organised by the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life. The theme of the forum centred on Christus Vivit (Christ Lives), the post-synodal apostolic exhortation of Pope Francis to young people, published earlier this year. In the document, we young Catholics are encouraged awaken and take the lead in bringing about changes in the life of the Church.

HONG KONG (SE): Only a few days prior, on June 12, when the second reading of the bill was scheduled to take place, police unleashed tear gas and rubber bullets against protestors who had surrounded and charged the Legislative Council (Legco) Building, in scenes eerily reminiscent of the battles of the 79-day Umbrella Movement of 2014, resulting in injuries to around 80 people.
 

HONG KONG (SE): On June 16, Victoria Park was the starting point for a second Sunday of protests against the government’s ill-conceived extradition amendment bill. The organisers, the Civil Human Rights Front, estimated that a record two million people, from all sectors of society, joined the march from the park to the Central Government Offices in Admiralty.