Hong Kong Mass for Liu Xiaobo

Source: UCAN

More than 700 people attended a memorial Mass in Hong Kong on 18 July for Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo who died in a hospital in China last week while under guard.

Father Louis Ha, ecclesiastical adviser of the Justice and Peace Commission in Hong Kong Diocese, concelebrated the Mass at Holy Cross Church with five other priests and four permanent deacons. Father Ha said in his homily that though Liu was not a Catholic, he lived a life in line with Church ideals of mercy and sacrificed himself for peace. "Liu said he had no enemy; this is not just in writing; he said this after he suffered much and forgave the many insults that he received," Father Ha said.

A black and white portrait of Liu sat by an empty chair which had on it white and red roses that represented his participation in the pro-democratic 4 June student movement in 1989. Besides commemorating Liu, people at Mass also prayed for his wife Liu Xia and other dissidents in China.

Liu, 61, was sentenced to 11 years for inciting subversion of state power on 25 December 2009 for his leading role in the Charter 08 manifesto. He was awarded the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize for "his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China." Suffering late-stage terminal cancer, Liu was released from prison 26 June and spent his last days hospitalized until he died on 13 July.