Hong Kong is proposing a list of offenses that will come under its own version of national security. The entire document has not been released to the general public so we don’t know what else will be added to their version of “national security.”

However, it appears that fear is the main goal in what has been proposed. It will be harder and harder for the average citizen to say anything without fear of being arrested for something. Neighbors may look at each other and report each other based on a number of factors. We hope this is not true but we have our doubts.

Just about everyday the Hong Kong government trumpets ‘national security’ to the people who live here. They do not give anyone a rest. For example, in the past during Chinese New Year the government would let people set up booths to sell things and make some extra money. Or they would allow cars to park on the street where normally they wouldn’t be able to. Not this year. The government has warned its citizens that they will not allow anything to happen and they will arrest or fine people who do things such as the above.

While national security is a good thing we find ruling by fear is not. The leader of Hong Kong is a ‘catholic’ but he is more concerned about being in favor with the leadership of China. We have spoken many times about Communism and Chinese patriotism so these need not be said here right now.

From the encyclical “Diuturnum”– They supply themselves with the power of laws, and think to coerce, by the severity of their punishment, those who disturb their governments. They are right to a certain extent, but yet should seriously consider that no power of punishment can be so great that it alone can preserve the State. For fear, as St. Thomas admirably teaches, “is a weak foundation; for those who are subdued by fear would, should an occasion arise in which they might hope for immunity, rise more eagerly against their rulers, in proportion to the previous extent of their restraint through fear.” And besides, “from too great fear many fall into despair; and despair drives men to attempt boldly to gain what they desire.”

We have seen in China what fear and despair do to people. The people of China rose-up against the authorities over various Covid policies. This rising-up wasn’t just a local event it was starting to spread all over China. The China government put a stop to this by doing away with Covid policies for they saw what might have happened if the people had continued to protest.

One of the things we are most worried about is religion. Currently, in Hong Kong, there is no major attack on religion. But we fear it is coming because we have seen what China fears the most.

But history has shown that whenever the true faith is suppressed there is always someone willing to learn and live with it. God will always win in the end and those who suppress the faith will fall and be punished when they are called to their judgment.