Hong Kong's Catholic group fears one of many key tenets of its religion is underneath menace after new safety legal guidelines had been handed final month.
Article 23 of the Nationwide Safety Act makes “failure to reveal the fee of treason by different individuals” an offense punishable by lengthy jail phrases.
Human rights teams and members of the Church have expressed concern that it could possibly be used to stress clergymen to disclose secrets and techniques shared underneath the seal of the confessional – which is taken into account inviolable and sacred in Catholic doctrine.
British advocacy group Hong Kong Watch issued a letter warning of the menace posed by the legal guidelines forward of their passage by way of Hong Kong's legislature, arguing that it violated Article 18 of the Common Declaration of Human Rights, which affirms non secular freedom and particular person rights.
“For a lot of non secular traditions, and particularly for the Catholic Church, the efficiency of what’s often known as the Sacrament of Penance (in any other case often known as the Sacrament of Reconciliation or Confession) is a spiritual act of completely essential, sacred significance,” the joint letter said.
“On the coronary heart of the sacrament of penance is the completely basic precept of confidentiality…a priest can encourage a penitent who has dedicated a critical crime to admit that crime to the authorities, the priest can not report it himself and mustn’t ever be arrested. criminally liable for listening to this confession.”
A Chinese language authorities spokesman accused the group of being “anti-Chinese language” and intentionally misrepresenting the legislation.
“The offenses of treason and treason … don’t apply to spiritual personnel or followers and don’t have anything to do with freedom of faith,” the spokesman stated. “Under no circumstances does freedom of faith serve to guard anybody who commits critical crimes from authorized sanctions.”
Regardless of the federal government's denial, many clergymen concern that safety forces will use the legislation to undermine the sanctity of the confessional by threatening clergymen with imprisonment, sending brokers to the confessional to arrest them, and even putting listening gadgets in church buildings.
One priest, in an interview with the British newspaper Telegraph, described the brand new legislation as “like a knife over the top”. Different clergymen, who spoke to the newspaper on situation of anonymity, expressed concern in regards to the laws's impression on their potential to serve the wants of their congregations and whether or not it might make it tougher to stay trustworthy to their mission to defend the gospel.
“For us true believers, we aren’t afraid, we’re simply afraid that individuals in want won’t be helped,” stated one other priest.
“In actuality, we aren’t in a position to unfold the entire gospel, we aren’t allowed to talk the entire fact, we aren’t free to warn our individuals in regards to the evil of communism and the harm it has achieved in historical past. What fact? – are we bearers if we don’t rise up for the reality? That’s the most important battle. “
The Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong issued a press release in response to the brand new legal guidelines, saying the laws “won’t change the confidential nature of the Church's confession (of the Sacrament of Reconciliation)”, whereas additionally saying that “residents have an obligation to make sure nationwide safety”.
This has brought about many Catholics to name on the Church to take a stronger stance in condemning the brand new laws, with Hong Kong Watch warning that it’s a covert crackdown on faith in Hong Kong, motivated by the truth that many Catholic believers are pro-democracy. conviction.
“As an alternative of bodily cracking down on faith in Hong Kong, the authorities goal to create an atmosphere during which non secular leaders and practitioners really feel obliged to self-censor, compromise and bow down to guard the basic freedom of faith they take pleasure in. ” it stated.
