HONG KONG – A Catholic parish in Tai Po, Hong Kong, has changed its plans for a memorial Mass marking the first anniversary of the devastating Wang Fuk Court fire, after reportedly receiving two enquiries from the police following the announcement of the celebrations on social media.
The Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Tai Po, part of the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong, had originally scheduled two memorial Masses to commemorate the first anniversary of the Wang Fuk Court tragedy and to pray for the deceased, the injured, and the families of all those affected.
The first Mass was scheduled for Sunday afternoon at the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, with Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing, OFM, originally appointed to preside.
A second Mass was planned for the evening before the first anniversary of the fire at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, to be presided over by Father Joseph Chan Chi-ming, Vicar General of the Diocese of Hong Kong.
According to the original announcement, a commemorative plaque bearing the names of all 168 victims of the fire was to be placed before the altar during the second Mass, allowing participants to remember the deceased, offer prayers, and present incense in their memory.
However, the original social media announcement has since been removed.
Yiu Kwun-tung, a parishioner of the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and former online radio host, disclosed that the parish had received police enquiries on two occasions after the announcement was circulated on social media.
The parish’s subsequent notice on its website indicates that the original time slot for the first memorial Mass will instead be used for a Mass entitled Prayer for All the Faithful Departed Throughout the Year. The notice does not identify a celebrant for the revised Mass.
Bereaved husband criticises alleged self-censorship #
Following the news, Yip Ka-kui, who lost his wife in the Wang Fuk Court fire, criticised what he described as the Church’s self-censorship in a social media post.
He wrote that religious freedom and pastoral responsibility appeared to be “slogans that can only be spoken when there is no pressure”.
Yip argued that replacing a Mass specifically commemorating the victims of the fire with a general Mass for all the faithful departed effectively placed a public tragedy involving 168 deaths alongside other deaths from natural causes.
He described such an approach as a form of dilution, adding that, in the eyes of the public, the Church had itself withdrawn its promise that the victims would not be forgotten.
Parish priest says prayers will be offered for all the departed #
Meanwhile, Father Thomas Law Kwok-fai, parish priest of the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Wan Chai, spoke about the matter in a radio interview on the morning of the report.
Referring to November as the Catholic Church’s traditional month of prayer for the Holy Souls, Father Law said that Catholics had observed the practice of praying for the departed for nearly 2,000 years, describing it as nothing unusual.
He emphasised that prayers would be offered for everyone, saying that nobody would be excluded. Responding to concerns surrounding the memorial Masses, he remarked that there was no need to be so fearful, questioning whether such fear might arise from a troubled conscience.
Asked whether he had heard of other parishes receiving informal warnings or reminders from the authorities regarding memorial activities, Father Law said he was unaware of such cases.
He also confirmed that his parish would hold a related Mass on 26 November and said that it had not received any enquiries or expressions of concern from the authorities. Should anyone approach him with such concerns, he said, he would tell them to look after their own affairs.
Father Law further stressed that prayer must be offered with sincerity and genuine intention.
The Church’s mission to remember the dead #
In the Catholic tradition, offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for the deceased is a fundamental expression of the Church’s belief in the communion of saints and the hope of the resurrection. November, traditionally observed as the month of the Holy Souls, is a particularly significant time for Catholics to pray for those who have died.
The Church’s prayers extend not only to the deceased but also to survivors, bereaved families, and communities who continue to bear the burden of grief.
As the first anniversary of the Wang Fuk Court fire approaches, the controversy surrounding the planned memorial Masses has brought renewed attention to the relationship between the Church’s pastoral mission, the freedom to organise religious observances, and its responsibility to accompany those who mourn.
For the families of the 168 victims, including a firefighter, remembering the dead is not merely a matter of liturgical observance, but also an expression of their continuing grief and the hope that their loved ones will not be forgotten.