Mainland and Hong Kong officials bowed their heads together in prayer to mark the opening ceremony for the Exhibition of Bible Ministry of Churches in China at the Convention and Exhibition Centre yesterday.
Reverend Cao Shengjie , president of the China Christian Council, Bishop Ding Guangxun, vice-chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa were among the officials.
The exhibition features more than 20 historic religious artefacts from the mainland's official Protestant Church. Bishop Ding said the exhibition proved that the Chinese enjoyed freedom of religion.
The Three-Self Patriotic Movement Committee of the Protestant Churches in China and the China Christian Council organised the event.
Committee vice-chairman Deng Fucun said Hong Kong's Catholic Bishop Joseph Zen Ze-kiun was invited to the event, but did not attend. 'The organisers invited Bishop Zen three times to be a guest at the opening ceremony through the Hong Kong Bible Society. But we received no positive response,' the Reverend Deng said.
Bishop Zen's office would not comment yesterday but had said he had a prior appointment.