VATICAN CITY—Following reports of the arrest of Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun in Hong Kong on May 11, the Vatican issued a statement that it was monitoring the situation.
“The Holy See has learned with concern the news of Cardinal Zen’s arrest and is following the development of the situation with extreme attention,” read the statement in Italian, released by the Vatican’s press office to members of the press.
Zen, 90, is known for being outspoken in his support of the intrinsic freedoms promoted by the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement, including the freedom of religion.
Hong Kong police arrested Zen—along with Denise Ho, Hui Po-keung, and Margaret Ng—reportedly for their roles as trustees for the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund. This fund was founded to aid pro-democracy protestors with their legal fees after hundreds were detained in the protests over the last three years.
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