Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun reminded Chinese Catholics in a seminar yesterday to defend the Church from wrongful influences.

Many mainland clergy wrongly believed receiving money from the government or taking up political posts, such as members of the Chinese parliament, can facilitate evangelization, said Cardinal Zen, retired bishop of Hong Kong.

“Don’t be keen on immediate interests, as they make many people fall down,” warned the cardinal, who turns 80 next month. “Being a prophet is not for success, but should be done in faithfulness to God until the end.”

He told attendees of the seminar, organized by the local diocese’s Justice and Peace Commission, that they should change the attitude of their hearts. “We can never compromise with any evil system. We must defend the Church structure, which is established by Jesus Christ and passed down from the Apostles.”

Addressing the seminar on the theme of being a prophet in the current era, the cardinal called on about 100 attendees to pay attention to their suffering brothers and sisters in the Church in China.

He cited Pope Benedict XVI’s prayer for Catholics who suffer because of their fidelity to Rome, including members of the “underground” community in China, that “they have the strength to persevere, knowing that their tribulations are the font of victory, even if at that moment they can seem a failure.”

Cardinal Zen also criticized the regression of Hong Kong society after its handover to Chinese rule in 1997. He said he was saddened to see “many universal values and the generosity of local people have been gradually vanishing.”

The cardinal also urged Catholics to follow the Church’s social teaching to speak the truth and accomplish their prophetic role.