Hong Kong: Cardinal Chow Blesses Jubilee Sculpture, Calls for a Church Open to All

Cardinal Stephen Chow Sau-yan, Bishop of Hong Kong, blessed the Jubilee sculpture “I was a stranger and you welcomed me” (Matthew 25:35) on November 1 in front of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on Caine Road. The artwork, one of the official Jubilee sculptures, symbolizes hospitality and compassion toward those on the margins of society.

Quoting Pope Francis’ call for a Church open to “todos” (“everyone”), Cardinal Chow urged Catholics to embrace inclusivity. “We must help those in Hong Kong, including within the Church, who are marginalized and feel unaccepted, to know that they are part of our community,” he said.

According to Kung Kao Po, the blessing ceremony was concelebrated by Fr. Lawrence Lee, Rector of the Cathedral, and attended by about 100 faithful. In his homily, Cardinal Chow reflected on his recent journey to Rome for the Jubilee celebration of the Synod of Bishops, where he and four diocesan representatives experienced the hospitality of the Pontifical Gregorian University after hotels were fully booked.

“This experience of being welcomed,” he said, “reminded me that we too must welcome the strangers among us, those who feel excluded or despised. We cannot only care about our friends; they need us too.”

Following the blessing, pilgrims gathered to pray and touch the nail marks on the sculpture. Unlike the other seven Jubilee sculptures, this one includes six seats beside it, inviting visitors to sit together in reflection and prayer.

Fr. Lawrence Lee encouraged the faithful to contemplate Jesus and renew their relationships with Christ and others. “We often ignore those around us, not only on the streets but also in church, even in our homes, treating them like strangers,” he said.

He added that the Cathedral’s Social Concern Group regularly visits the homeless and that the new sculpture serves as a reminder that “when we visit the homeless, we are also visiting Jesus.”