Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
credit. KungKaoPo
Hong Kong (Fides News Agency) – “Every day I continue to walk with hope; this joy and this hope fill my life with profound serenity and inner peace.”
With gratitude that embraces even the most difficult moments, such as the time when he was appointed Apostolic Administrator while Hong Kong was facing “an extremely complex situation: the Covid-19 pandemic, social unrest, the imminent entry into force of the National Security Law, and the long wait for the appointment of a new bishop…”
Cardinal John Tong Hon shares some of the reflections collected in his first autobiography, entitled “The Lord is my Shepherd”.
The book is among the most anticipated new titles to be presented at the Hong Kong Book Fair (July 15 to 21).
Reflecting on the many trials he has faced throughout his long life, the Cardinal, the seventh Bishop of Hong Kong, writes that all this “enabled me to understand more deeply how essential it is to place one's trust in the Lord.”
According to the Hong Kong diocesan weekly Kung Kao Po, which introduced the volume, Cardinal Tong recounts his “journey of joy and hope” in seven chapters tracing the major stages of his life: from a childhood marked by war to his vocation; from priestly and episcopal ordination to his pastoral service in the Diocese of Hong Kong and his efforts to strengthen ties with the universal Church.
The titles of the seven chapters already offer a glimpse into the fabric of an intense life, one that has unfolded alongside the great history of Chinese Catholicism in recent decades. The Cardinal recounts his childhood “Amid the horrors of war,” reflects on the “Formation of his vocation,” recalls “The founding of the Holy Spirit Center,” and confesses to having lived “With his heart turned toward the Church in China.” He then reminisces about his experience as the “Seventh Bishop of the Diocese of Hong Kong,” compiles “Fragments of the Life of a Bishop Emeritus,” and concludes by acknowledging “Gratitude for You and for you along the way” as a defining characteristic of his existence. The volume also includes a selection of pastoral letters, messages to the faithful, and homilies by the Cardinal.
A former basketball player, an expert in Taoist and Confucian thought, and a “second-generation” Christian, John Tong reflects with an open heart on his long journey. Regarding his pastoral ministry, he acknowledges that the events most deeply etched in his memory “were the wave of migration (to England, Canada, the United States…) that preceded the Hong Kong handover, the SARS epidemic that struck the city in 2003, and the challenges related to the demand for universal suffrage.” The Cardinal evokes the words of Psalm 23, which give the book its title (“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want”), reiterating that they constitute “the sure anchor” of his life: “When I was assailed by my confused thoughts and the noise of the outside world, these words touched me deeply. They were like a sure anchor, capable of keeping my heart steadfast, so that, even before the impetuous waves of life, I would not be overwhelmed, but could rediscover the center and meaning of my existence.”
Following the sudden death of Bishop Michael Yeung Ming-cheung (1945-2019), Cardinal Tong recalls, among other things, “The Holy Father appointed me Apostolic Administrator, entrusting me once again with the responsibility of governing the diocese. I consider myself fortunate to have had the invaluable support of six confreres committed to pastoral ministry in the diocesan Curia. Strengthened by our faith and enlightened by the Holy Spirit, we faced the major issues of the diocese together, joining forces to overcome difficulties and confront crises.” “Thanks to the Lord’s blessing, the entire diocese remained united, united in prayer. Finally, on December 4, 2021, we welcomed Fr. Stephen Chow Sau-yan, SJ, as the new Bishop of the Diocese of Hong Kong, who guided our local Church into a new chapter of its journey.”
Cardinal Tong is also widely respected for his discreet and balanced approach in every circumstance. He was invited to attend the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and has always shown particular concern for the formation of seminarians and priests. For this reason, he worked closely with Bishop Aloysius Jin Luxian of Shanghai and played a key role in the founding of the Holy Spirit Study Center in Hong Kong, which has supported generations of priests and religious from mainland China in their academic and theological formation.
In 2012, shortly after being created Cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI, Cardinal Tong recalled in an interview with the Italian monthly 30Giorni that he had studied in Rome during the years of the Second Vatican Council, speaking with gratitude of his priestly ordination.
“The Council helped me greatly to broaden and deepen my vision,” he said. “I was ordained a priest only a few weeks after the Council had concluded. The class of deacons at the Pontifical Urbaniana University to which I belonged was chosen to receive priestly ordination from the hands of Pope Paul VI on the Feast of the Epiphany in 1966.”
In the same interview, when asked whether the Diocese of Hong Kong should serve as a measure of the catholicity of the Church in China, Cardinal Tong replied: “Faith does not come from us. It always comes from Jesus. And we are not the controllers and the judges of the faith of our brothers. We are simply a sister diocese in relation to the dioceses that are on the mainland. So, if they want, we are happy to share with them our experience and our pastoral work.” (Fides News Agency, 3/7/2026)
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