Beijing, China, Feb 22, 2006 / 22:00 pm
Following the nomination of Hong Kong Bishop Joseph Zen, as one of the fifteen new Cardinals appointed by Pope Benedict XVI, the Chinese foreign ministry made known its position Thursday on the issue. It has warned the head of the Roman Catholic church in Hong Kong, Bishop Joseph Zen, not to meddle in politics.
At a news briefing in Beijing, foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said the Chinese government had noted the appointment and believed the Catholic church had all along advocated that religious figures should not interfere in politics. Zen has frequently been critical of Beijing in the past.
In an interview with CNN, Zen said there were two distinct type of politics - official party politics and a wider participation of civil society.
"We should not engage in the first but the second kind should be a duty of all citizens," he told the network.