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SCMP

This article was first published on December 5, 1970
By Staff reporters
A red letter day for Hong Kong Catholics
The 73-year-old pontiff, looking fit in spite of his strenuous Asian tour, responded warmly. At times he stretched out his arms in a symbol of loving embrace, at others he blessed the crowds gathered to see him.
He seemed especially pleased by the spontaneous gaiety of the greeting which 20,000 Catholic children gave him at the Happy Valley Racecourse to which he was taken by helicopter after his arrival at Kai Tak.
Message of love
In spite of the drizzle and a cold wind, he asked for the closed top of the car to be opened. He then stood up so that the children could see him.
At this, the cheers merged into a continuous, thunderous roar.
The expression of love – the main theme of the pope’s Asian tour – was also the message he conveyed to all Chinese people, including those in China, in his much-awaited farewell speech at Kai Tak Airport after the mass at the Government Stadium.
“Christ is a teacher, a shepherd and a loving redeemer for China too,” he declared.
“The Church cannot leave unsaid this good word: love, which will be forever.”
For Hong Kong, too, he had special words. In his airport broadcast he referred to the vast progress Hong Kong had made in recent years and added:
“We shall invoke God’s blessing on your continued efforts to promote justice, prosperity and peace.”

As his special aircraft took him away, His Holiness sent a message to North Vietnam expressing the wish “that the sincere efforts of the interested parties may promptly lead to the just peace so greatly desired”.
The pope was greeted at his arrival at the airport by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Hong Kong, Monsignor Francis Hsu, by the acting governor, Sir Hugh Norman-Walker, and by the colony’s leading citizens.
From there, the pope and his entourage were flown in four helicopters to the racecourse where shouts of “Viva il Papa” added to the thunderous ovation.
After his racecourse tour, the pope was driven to the Government Stadium when 50,000 people gave him another tremendous welcome.
The royal procession around the arena in an open jeep was greeted by elderly folk clapping hands entwined with rosaries, flag-waving children and teenagers uttering shrieks and screams usually accorded “pop” stars.
All were craning forward to see the pale countenance, the lifted hands and heart-warming smile. On the far side of the arena, youngsters became almost delirious with excitement.
The Holy Father became infected with this overwhelming enthusiasm and he blew kisses, made the sign of the cross and raised his arms wide as if he would enfold this multitude of Christians to his heart. This was perhaps the most moving moment.
The jeep edged past the guard of honour. Tired and cramps forgotten, the scouts and guides had their moment of glory.

And descending from the jeep, the pope went first to the purple-clad Anglican Bishop, the Right Reverend Gilbert Baker, who with Mrs Baker, received warm handshakes and cordial greetings.
Other guests of honour were met in turn: other clergy; then holders of papal honours; the disabled in wheelchairs; and members of religious orders standing four-square around the central altar.
Everywhere the pope went, Bishop Hsu was at his elbow. The 50-year-old bishop, whose appointment to head the Hong Kong diocese was made less than 18 months ago, introduced most of the dignitaries to His Holiness, called his attention and blessing to special groups, and guided him to all the right places at the right times.
The slender pontiff was escorted to the steps of the altar, where he donned green and ivory silk vestments for the celebration of the Papal High Mass.
Prayers and petitions, bilingual and reverberating around the stadium, were in progress when the rain commenced to fall steadily.
Something in the atmosphere reminded English folk present of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, when drenched crowds stood patiently listening to the consecration prayers relayed from Westminster Abbey.
During the offertory presentation umbrellas went up in colourful array. But the people who had heard Paul say he was happy to be with his sons and daughters in Hong Kong – “the largest Chinese diocese in the world” – stood spellbound.
The pope’s visit to Hong Kong was “all too brief” in the words of the acting governor, Norman-Walker, who welcomed him just before 1.30pm and said goodbye barely three hours later.
But those few hours were enough to give Hong Kong’s 247,000 Catholics a great spiritual uplift, for although they made up the world’s largest Chinese Catholic community, they have never before been visited by the head of their church.
The visit did much good for the colony’s church-unity movement, which is one of the world’s strongest. Catholic sources said that even before they had time to send out invitations to the papal mass, many leaders of other churches had expressed a desire to attend.
And praying with the pope and about 50 ministers and leaders of several religions was the Bishop Baker.
Bishop Baker further shored up the foundations of the Hong Kong ecumenical movement yesterday with a letter to Paul. In it, he expressed admiration for the pontiff, who had undertaken such an “arduous apostolic and missionary journey”, and said Hong Kong Anglicans were praying that, through the pope’s labours, the “message of Christ” might be more deeply understood by the people of the Far East.
Strenuous
It was a strenuous three hours for the 73-year-old pontiff. But throughout, he looked well and walked with a spry step. Between his flowing white robes and white skullcap, his face looked sun-tanned and had a warm glow of health.
Paul usually speaks softly and slowly. But yesterday while preaching to just over 50,000 people in the Government Stadium, his amplified voice sounded very tired, almost weak, and he faltered over many of the English words that don’t come easily to him. There were however, three words that he pronounced with heavy emphasis, every syllable distinct.
The words came at the end of a sentence, at the end of his sermon: “Christ is a teacher, a shepherd and a loving redeemer FOR CHINA TOO.”
His Holiness habitually emphasises the last words of a sentence, but this time he was so forceful – far more so than in any other part of his sermon – that it was clear he wanted his message of love and peace to reach Chinese everywhere.
That however, was virtually all he said about China. He had decided to restrain his public expressions of love and concern for the Chinese people, although Catholic sources said he had privately compared his 1970 Far East mission to that of Francis Xavier, the missionary who died on the island of Shangchuan in 1552 while trying to get into China.


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Pope Paul VI  on a three-hour visit to Hong Kong, greets his followers as he arrives for mass at the Hong Kong Stadium on December 4, 1970. Photo: SCMP

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Hong Kong

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Fifty-five years ago on December 4, 1970, throngs of Hongkongers greeted Pope Paul VI during his historic three-hour trip


Fifty-five years ago on December 4, 1970, throngs of Hongkongers greeted Pope Paul VI during his historic three-hour trip.


Religion

China

.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}On This Day | The pope visits Hong Kong for 3 hours in 1970 – from the SCMP archive

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Fifty-five years ago on December 4, 1970, throngs of Hongkongers greeted Pope Paul VI during his historic three-hour trip

A red letter day for Hong Kong Catholics

Message of love

On This Day | The pope visits Hong Kong for 3 hours in 1970 – from the SCMP archive

Fifty-five years ago on December 4, 1970, throngs of Hongkongers greeted Pope Paul VI during his historic three-hour trip