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Contract work hours and other problems

The duty of heads of government is to harmonise sectoral interests with the requirements of justice in order that the common good may be attained in conjunction with the contribution of every citizen (The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church 168-9).
 
But on working hours and the offset against the Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) for severance pay, the government hurriedly launched two policies, which are neither fish, flesh nor fowl, as personal political aspirations were placed over people’s need.







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Ignoring the weak at own peril

The manner in which the government treats the most vulnerable in the workforce should be a matter of concern for the whole of society, as it is a strong indication of how it is prepared to treat everyone.
 
A society that does not take independent steps to protect the weakest sections of its workforce can destroy its ability to protect itself.
 







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Far more than an incident

OVER THE PAST 100 years Tiananmen Square in Beijing has played host to history defining events, which have been both controversial and subject to considerable government interpretation. In one particular case, even a reversal of verdict.
 
In 1919, as people were beginning to assert themselves as self-determining with a popular power base rather than an elitist one, a mass gathering in the famed square on May 4 cited what was called government weakness in giving into Japan in the Versailles Treaty.
 







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Pro-Life Day

John Cardinal Tong Hon said in his Message for the 2017 Pro-Life Day that the Hong Kong diocese will celebrate the day on May 31 and dedicate it to the promotion of an appreciation of the sacredness of life.
 
The bishop of Hong Kong said explicitly that this decision, as envisioned by Pope John Paul II, is to promote this special day as an annual event. Its aim is to arouse awareness, respect for and protection of human life.
 







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A decade on from pope’s letter to Chinese Catholics

May 27 this year marks the 10th anniversary of the letter Pope Benedict XVI penned to the Catholic people of China. Although commentators hold a wide variety of views on the impact of the letter, what is undeniable is that it has given the Church in China a clear direction and led it into a new era.
 







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A time for mothers

May is a month of family love. Apart from being dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother’s Day is also celebrated in May. This reminds us that we should honour both our mother in heaven and our mothers on earth.
 
Mother’s Day is an opportunity to respect women and honour the love that mothers lavish on their children. It has become everybody’s festival with a great variety of celebrations in the streets designed at expressing love and filial piety towards mothers.
 







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Our Lady of Fatima

In 1917, the apparitions of Our Lady occurred at Fatima. On the 13th of this month, Pope Francis will visit the small Portuguese town to preside over the celebration of their centenary.

In 1910, following the Portuguese Revolution, Portugal came under a Marxist government and in the traditionally Catholic country religion suffered from unprecedented persecution. Clergy were expelled and seminaries, convents and Church properties were confiscated. The government wanted to exterminate religion.







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Resurrect or perish

 

It is time to imagine a different sort of Church. It is time to discover new ways of looking at our religious reality to advance our common good, well this seems to be the opinion of Pope Francis anyway.







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D-Day for chief executive

Just 20 years after Hong Kong returned to Chinese sovereignty, a new chief executive will be selected on March 26 by the 1,194-strong Election Committee.

In 1997, Tung Chee-hwa left the business sector to become the first chief executive of Hong Kong. He was followed by the veteran civil servant, Donald Tsang Yam-kuen. In 2012, Leung Chun-ying, a professional who had also held public office, won selection.







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Patron of the Church in China

The Church dedicates the month of March to St. Joseph, one of the few feast days celebrated during Lent. With the exception of St. Joseph on March 19 and the Annunciation on March 25, both of which are part of the proclamation of the Saviour’s birth, Lent is a period of reflection on the Passion of Jesus, an opportunity to follow the way of the cross and live simply.