Before Christmas, church leaders issue Christmas messages that are their most-read sermons. In keeping with a widely observed cultural holiday, the bishops are preaching to the whole community, and not just their flocks. Their messages are scrutinised for moral leadership on community values that guide us and issues that divide us. In the past neither the bishop of the city's Catholic diocese, Cardinal John Tong Hon, nor the Anglican Archbishop of Hong Kong and Macau, Paul Kwong, have been shy of addressing sensitive social and political issues.
What sets them apart this year is that Tong has steered clear of controversy and politics, unlike last year when he opposed same-sex marriage and called for universal suffrage along with improved social services across the board, or when he called for the release of jailed mainland rights activists.
Instead, he focused on social problems such as divorce, lack of parental care for children and misbehaviour among the young. He expressed the hope that celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ would help people work together in "building happy families and a free, democratic society". He apparently did not feel the need to add to the church's call last July for one man, one vote in chief executive and legislature elections.
Kwong, on the other hand, accused some politicians of stirring up discrimination against mainlanders in order to win votes, resulting in alienation and division. He said calls to reduce mainland immigrant quotas opposed family reunion and were not in line with basic human rights and justice. On the debate about the method of introducing universal suffrage and selecting candidates, he cited the late Nelson Mandela's example of reconciliation, tolerance and unity in urging open-minded, respectful debate and cautioning against expectations of a perfect system from the outset.
"The method adopted might not be ideal, but we should not be discouraged because no one system or method is perfect the first time", he said.
The overriding focus of both messages, therefore, was on the values of unity and tolerance that typify the spirit of Christmas. That may be good advice for a society struggling for consensus on political reform and conflicted by increasing income disparity and unaffordable housing.