John Tong Hon was born in Central, Hong Kong, on 31 July 1939 and was ordained a priest in St Peter's Basilica by Pope Paul VI on 6 January 1966. From 1980 he directed the Holy Spirit Study Centre — Hong Kong's noted research institute on the Church in China — and was Vicar General of Hong Kong from 1992 to 2008. Appointed auxiliary bishop in September 1996 (consecrated 9 December by Cardinal Wu), he became coadjutor in January 2008 and succeeded Cardinal Joseph Zen as Bishop of Hong Kong on 15 April 2009, serving until 1 August 2017. After the death of his successor, he served as Apostolic Administrator from January 2019 to May 2021.
Benedict XVI created him a cardinal on 18 February 2012, with the title of Regina Apostolorum alla Montagnola; he was President Delegate of the 2012 Synod on the New Evangelization. His signature idea is Hong Kong as the “Bridge Church” between Rome and mainland China: in a 2016 Kung Kao Po article he revealed the outline of a Holy See–Beijing agreement on bishop appointments — an agreement his predecessor Zen fervently opposed. His motto is Dominus Pastor Meus — “the Lord is my shepherd.”
Consequential Quotes
I feel inadequate yet grateful.
If Catholics in China were to enjoy full freedom of religious belief and activities, they would not only be able to contribute more fruitfully to the well-being of society, but would also earn for their Motherland a higher reputation in the international community.
Major Works & Initiatives
Bishop of Hong Kong
Eight years leading the Church in the territory.
The Study Centre director
Two decades at the Holy Spirit Study Centre.
The “Bridge Church” article
Outlined the path to the Vatican–China agreement.
Controversies
The 2015 pastoral letter and Beijing
Tong Hon's November 2015 pastoral letter urging Catholics to weigh candidates' views on gay rights when voting drew criticism from Hong Kong's pan-democratic camp, including a student protest at a graduation ceremony he attended. His support for the Vatican–China provisional agreement contrasts sharply with his predecessor Cardinal Zen's opposition.