By Charles Igwe
Cardinal Stephen Chow, the Jesuit bishop of Hong Kong, was visibly moved to tears as he joined Bishop Joseph Shen Bin of Shanghai in praying for Pope Francis at the Basilica of Our Lady of Sheshan, one of China’s most revered Catholic pilgrimage sites.
The Diocese of Hong Kong disclosed on March 3 that during a Mass at the Marian shrine, the two bishops recited the Prayer to Our Lady of Sheshan for the health of the 88-year-old pontiff, who has been hospitalized in Rome with pneumonia since February 14.
“I was genuinely touched, and I found myself in tears during the prayer,” Cardinal Chow told the Sunday Examiner, the official newspaper of the Diocese of Hong Kong.
“This location carries immense importance for the Church in China, and it was deeply meaningful to pray alongside Bishop Shen for the Holy Father here,” he added.
The Mass, held on February 25, was part of Cardinal Chow’s five-day visit to Shanghai with a delegation from Hong Kong. The trip also included visits to St. Ignatius Cathedral in Xujiahui, Sheshan Seminary, and other religious and pilgrimage sites.
