Easter Message | Zhou Shouren: Violence only breeds more violence; it will never bring peace

The bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong, Cardinal Joseph Chow Sau-yan, issued an Easter message, saying that the war and conflict in the Middle East could spread to other parts of the world. He said it is not something to be viewed optimistically that the conflict will end soon, as the invaders launched extremely destructive attack operations, and the side under attack also felt anger and hatred. He hoped it would not lead to nuclear disaster or a living hell.

As global citizens, we cannot just sit idly by

Cardinal Chow Sau-yan reiterated that violence only brings more violence and never brings peace. He emphasized that, as global citizens, people cannot just sit idly by; otherwise, they too must take responsibility for disastrous consequences, because everyone forms part of a collective consciousness.

He believes that, in the face of great evil, many people feel helpless and do not take constructive action. But Easter means that goodness, truth, and love will ultimately triumph over evil. He called on people to distance themselves from the old leaven of “deceit and evil,” including not letting despair consume oneself, or becoming a militia that turns into mockery, hateful, and destructive criticism. In particular, hatred and violence spread through social media must be curbed.

Urging the government to reduce KPIs so teachers can spend more time with students

Cardinal Chow Sau-yan urged parents and schools to protect children and not allow them to fall into a blind culture of competition. Instead, he encouraged “self-comparison” to provide breathing room, to discover their talents, and to change an oppressive culture.

He also urged government leaders to reduce the use of “key performance indicators” (KPIs) so that education workers have more time to accompany students. He stressed that every life has dignity and value that go beyond achievements.