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Cardinal Joseph Zen arrives at the West Kowloon Law Courts Building in Hong Kong, China, April 16, 2021. He was fined $511 by a Hong Kong court on Friday. File photo by Jerome Favre/EPA-EFE
November 25 (UPI) — Hong Kong Cardinal Joseph Zen, who was arrested in May over anti-government protests, was fined more than $500 along with five others for failing to register the Protesters Relief Fund as a society.
90-year-old Zen serves as bishop emeritus of Hong Kong, In custody Together with lawyer Anita Ng, local artist Denise Ho and former Lingnan University educator Xu Baoqiang.
four are fined Fined $511 at West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts for participating in the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund. Shi Zhengwei, secretary of the fund, was also fined.
The group provides financial support to those arrested or injured during Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests. It closes in August.
Zen has always been a prominent and longtime critic Communist Party of China. Zen, who used a cane in court, could have been jailed.
“I hope this case will not be tied to religious freedom,” Chen said after the hearing. “I’m a supporter of humanitarian work.”
Chen’s arrest triggered protests in the United States and other countries, while the Vatican stated that it is “paying close attention to the development of the situation.”
In October, the Catholic Church renewed a controversial secret agreement with Beijing to appoint a Roman Catholic bishop there. U.S. officials warn that this will further marginalize underground Chinese priests loyal to Rome.
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