Vatican voices 'concern' at cardinal arrest in Hong Kong

The Vatican said Wednesday it was concerned over reports that a retired cleric, Cardinal Joseph Zen, had been arrested in Hong Kong. 

"The Holy See has learnt the news of Cardinal Zen's arrest with concern and is following the development of the situation very closely", the Vatican said in a brief statement.

Zen, 90, is a former bishop of Hong Kong and one of the most senior Catholic clerics in the Chinese business hub.

He was one of a group of veteran democracy advocates who were arrested under Hong Kong's national security law, legal and police sources said Wednesday.

Hong Kong authorities have yet to confirm the arrests.

Zen has been critical of the Vatican's decision to reach a compromise with China over the appointment of bishops on the mainland.

Those arrested were all trustees of a now-disbanded fund that helped finance demonstrators detained during massive democracy protests that swept Hong Kong three years ago. -- Agence France-Presse