Cardinal Zen’s Trial Adjourned Before Defense Can Cross-Examine Witnesses
After just two days into the trial of retired Chinese Cardinal Joseph Zen and five co-defendants, a Hong Kong magistrates’ court adjourned the proceedings until next month.
The sudden turn of events took place Wednesday in a trial that officials had said would last five days.
Principal Magistrate Ada Yim adjourned the trial to Oct. 26 after defense lawyers had attempted to cross-examine police witnesses called by the prosecution, Catholic News Service reported.
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The 90-year-old humanitarian activist and pro-democracy advocate, who had previously served as bishop of Hong Kong from 2002 to 2009, was detained last May 11 in connection with his role as administrator of the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund.
The fund, which had been able to raise $34.4 million before it was shut down last year, supported pro-democracy demonstrations by paying for the legal and medical expenses of protesters.
The trial — originally set to start on Sept. 19 — was delayed a week after the judge tested positive for COVID-19. If found guilty, Zen and his co-defendants face a $1,300 fine. All have pleaded not guilty.
Those accused along with Zen are lawyer Margaret Ng, singer-activist Denise Ho, scholar Hui Po-keung, activist Sze Ching-wee and former lawmaker Cyd Ho.
The prosecution had argued earlier this week that the fund had raised millions — with some of that money used for “political activities and non-charity events.” The defense shot back that Zen and the others had a right to form a group and charity under the Basic Law, Hong Kong’s constitution.
Zen, who remains free on bail, had been arrested on national security charges, but is on trial only to face charges only that as a trustee he’d failed to properly register the fund. Zen has not been indicted on the bigger criminal charges, which could lead to deportation to Beijing.
There has been speculation, CNS reported, that the Chinese Communist Party would be satisfied to see the outspoken cardinal found guilty of the low-level charge “to keep him on a tighter leash.”
Pope Francis and high-ranking Vatican officials have largely been silent on the trial and the charges Zen has faced.
At the same time, several high-ranking bishops have expressed solidarity with Zen.
In an open letter published on Sept. 23 in Avvenire, the official newspaper of the Italian bishops, Cardinal Fernando Filoni called Zen “a man of God and at times intemperate, but submissive to the love of Christ.”
“Hong Kong, China and the church have in him a devoted son not to be ashamed of,” added Filoni, who serves as prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. “This is a testimony to the truth.”
Clemente Lisi is a senior editor at Religion Unplugged and teaches journalism at The King’s College in New York City. His new book “The FIFA World Cup: A History of the Planet's Biggest Sporting Event” comes out Oct. 12. Follow him on Twitter @ClementeLisi.