About Joseph Zen
Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, SDB (Chinese: 陳日君, born 13 January 1932) is a Chinese Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Hong Kong from 2002 to 2009. He was made a cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI in 2006 and has been outspoken on issues regarding human rights, political freedom, and religious liberty. He is a member of the Salesians of Don Bosco. Zen's strong ties with Hong Kong's pro-democracy camp often attract criticism from the pro-Beijing camp and the government of China. Zen retired on 15 April 2009, but remains a strong pro-democracy influence in Hong Kong. On 11 May 2022, he was arrested by the National Security Police and later that day released on bail. == Life and career == Joseph Zen was born in Shanghai to Catholic parents, Vincent Zen and Margaret Tseu. He studied in a church school during the Second Sino-Japanese War, but was sent to an abbey after his father suffered a stroke. After entering the Salesians at the Hong Kong novitiate in 1948, he was ordained to the priesthood on 11 February 1961 by Cardinal Maurilio Fossati. Zen obtained a licentiate in theology (1961) and a doctorate in philosophy (1964) from the Salesian Pontifical University in Rome.
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