Hong Kong Diocese’s Emeritus Bishop, Cardinal John Tong Hon, has recently published his autobiography, “The Lord Is My Shepherd”, offering readers a deeply personal reflection on his life, priestly vocation, and decades of service to the Catholic Church in Hong Kong and Mainland China.
The autobiography will be officially presented at the Hong Kong Book Fair, taking place from 15th to 21st July, one of Asia’s largest annual literary events.
According to the Vatican news agency Fides, the 87 years old cardinal recounts his journey from a childhood marked by the hardships of war to his vocation to the priesthood, his episcopal ministry, and his years of pastoral leadership in the Diocese of Hong Kong. Divided into seven chapters, the book also provides a first-hand account of significant moments in the life of the Church in Hong Kong and Mainland China.
Ordained to the priesthood by Pope St. Paul VI in 1966, consecrated a bishop in 1996, and created a cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012, Cardinal John Tong Hon served as the 7th Bishop of Hong Kong from 2009 to 2017. In his autobiography, he also reflects on his ministry as Apostolic Administrator following the death of Bishop Michael Yeung in January 2019 until the appointment of Cardinal Stephen Chow, S.J., as 8th Bishop of Hong Kong in 2021. He recalls leading the Diocese through one of the most challenging periods in its recent history, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the social unrest that gripped the city, the implementation of Hong Kong’s National Security Law, and the prolonged vacancy of the episcopal see.
The autobiography also revisits the founding of the Holy Spirit Study Centre, an institution dedicated to research on the Catholic Church in China, and features a collection of Cardinal Tong’s pastoral letters, homilies, and messages to the faithful, offering readers a glimpse into his pastoral heart and spiritual reflections.
Looking back on the many challenges he encountered throughout his life and ministry, Cardinal Tong writes that these experiences taught him to place complete trust in God’s providence. His autobiography is not only the story of his own vocation, but also a testimony to the steadfast faith that has guided him through decades of service to the Church.
