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His Excellency, The Most Reverend Michael Yeung Ming-cheung
Bishop of Hong Kong
Church	Roman Catholic Church
See	Hong Kong
Appointed	1 August 2017
Installed	5 August 2017
Term ended	3 January 2019
Predecessor	John Tong Hon
Successor	Stephen Chow
Previous post(s)	Vicar General of the Diocese of Hong Kong (2009–2016) Auxiliary Bishop of Hong Kong (2014–16) Titular Bishop of Mons in Numidia (2014–16) Coadjutor Bishop of Hong Kong (2016–17)
Orders
Ordination	10 June 1978 by John Baptist Wu
Consecration	30 August 2014 by John Tong Hon
Personal details
Born	Michael Yeung Ming-cheung (1945-12-01)1 December 1945 Shanghai, China
Died	3 January 2019(2019-01-03) (aged 73) Canossa Hospital, Mid-Levels, Hong Kong
Buried	St. Michael's Catholic Cemetery, Happy Valley
Nationality	Chinese
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Residence	Hong Kong
Alma mater	Pontifical Urban University Syracuse University Harvard University
Motto	Surgite Eamus Hinc 起行伊始 (English: Arise, let us go forth from here)
Coat of arms
Ordination history
History Priestly ordination Ordained by John Baptist Wu (Hong Kong) Date 10 June 1978 Place British Hong Kong Episcopal consecration Principal consecrator John Tong Hon (Hong Kong) Co-consecrators Joseph Zen (Hong Kong em.) Savio Hon (Sec. Sacr. Cong. Prop. Fide) Date 30 August 2014 Place Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Hong Kong
Source(s):
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	楊鳴章
Simplified Chinese	杨鸣章
Jyutping	joeng6 ming6 zoeng1
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Yáng Míngzhāng Yue: Cantonese Jyutping joeng6 ming6 zoeng1

Styles of Michael Yeung Ming-cheung
Reference style	His Excellency The Most Reverend
Spoken style	Your Excellency
Religious style	Bishop

Michael Yeung Ming-cheung (Chinese: 楊鳴章; 1 December 1945 – 3 January 2019) was the eighth Roman Catholic bishop of Hong Kong. He was consecrated on 30 August 2014.

Early life

Yeung Ming-cheung was born in Shanghai in 1945. He completed his primary and secondary schooling and began working for an import-export company in Hong Kong. In 1972 at the age of 26 he entered the Pontifical Urban University to study theology and philosophy and graduated in 1978.

Priest

He was ordained a priest for the diocese of Hong Kong on 10 June 1978. After his ordination he took a variety of pastoral and administrative roles. From 1978 to 1980 he was vicar in Ha Kwai Chung District, New Territories; from 1980 to 1982 he earned an MA in social communications from Syracuse University in the United States. In 1982 he returned to Hong Kong and was appointed director of the office of Social Communications for the diocese. He held this post until 1986. He was then appointed parish priest of Our Lady of Lourdes parish, where he served until 1989 when he was appointed chaplain at Yu C.K. Memorial College. He returned to the United States to study at Harvard University where in 1990 he earned a Master's in Education (Ed.M.). He returned to Hong Kong in 1990 and held the post of director of the office of education until 2013. He was the head of Caritas Hong Kong and was appointed vicar general of the diocese in 2009. He was later appointed a member of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum.

Bishop

On 11 July 2014, Pope Francis appointed him Titular Bishop of Mons in Numidia and named him one of three Auxiliary Bishops of Hong Kong along with Joseph Ha Chi-shing, O.F.M. and Stephen Lee Bun-sang. Consecrated on 30 August 2014, Yeung was appointed the coadjutor bishop of the diocese on 13 November 2016, and succeeded Cardinal John Tong Hon as the Bishop of Hong Kong on 1 August 2017. On 27 June 2018, AsiaNews reported that Yeung had tendered his resignation to Pope Francis in order to dedicate himself to Caritas. Yeung said he had only suggested that he would like to work for Caritas when he retired from his Hong Kong position. He received two honorary doctorates: one in Social Science from the Open University of Hong Kong, and another one from the Australian Catholic University.

Illness and death

Yeung reportedly tripped over his alb and injured himself when stepping upstairs before celebrating a Mass in December 2018. He made his last public appearance when he celebrated the Christmas Eve Midnight Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception the same month. Beginning 27 December 2018, Yeung underwent treatment for liver failure brought on by cirrhosis at the Canossa Hospital. He died at 1:30pm (Hong Kong time) on 3 January 2019 from the illness. Following Yeung's death, Pope Francis appointed Cardinal Tong apostolic administrator to lead the diocese until an appointment of a new bishop. Stephen Chow was appointed Bishop of Hong Kong on 17 May 2021 and was consecrated bishop and installed on 4 December 2021.

Public stances

It has been suggested that this section be split out into another article titled Michael Yeung controversies. (Discuss) (January 2019)

Throughout his career as a Catholic clergyman, Yeung was at the center of various controversies. He was criticised for comparing participants of the 2014 Hong Kong protests, as well as homosexuals, to those who use drugs.

Yeung's close ties with Carrie Lam, the 5th Chief Executive of Hong Kong, were also a source of controversy. Yeung said Lam is a Catholic, and he had good ties with her for years. Yeung also said he knew her on a professional level, during her time as the Director of the Social Welfare Department, and that he had no reasons to reject her, and sever ties. Yeung's ties with the rich and powerful in Hong Kong has also been a source of criticism.

Yeung was also criticised for allegedly defending mainland Chinese authorities during a news conference over controversies concerning the removal of crucifixes from church buildings or demolition of churches. He also said that, since China has regulations on religion, he will respect their rules.

References

1. "Hong Kong: Three new auxiliary bishops ordained". O Clarim. Macau. 19 September 2014. Archived from the original on 8 January 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
2. ^ "Rinunce e nomine, 11.07.2014" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 11 July 2014. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
3. ^ "Bishop of Hong Kong passes away - Vatican News". www.vaticannews.va. 3 January 2019. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
4. Brockhaus, Hannah (13 November 2016). "Pope Francis appoints new bishop of Hong Kong". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
5. "Rinunce e Nomine, 13.11.2016" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 13 November 2016. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
6. "Rinunce e Nomine, 01.08.2017" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 1 August 2017. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
7. "New bishop succeeds in Hong Kong". Vatican Radio. 1 August 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
8. 楊鳴章提早請辭主教「返明愛工作」理由牽強. Apple Daily (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 27 June 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
9. "Bishop Yeung of Hong Kong denies resignation report". UCA News. 28 June 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
10. "【楊鳴章病逝】新主教要有中共「祝福」？ 杜國明：等教宗決定". Apple Daily (in Chinese). 3 January 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
11. ^ "傳媒通知(二)" [Media Notice (2)]. Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong (in Chinese). 3 January 2019. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
12. "Media Notice". Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong. 3 January 2019. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
13. "Hong Kong Catholic leader Michael Yeung Ming-Cheung dead at 73". South China Morning Post. 3 January 2019. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
14. "肝硬化致肝衰竭 天主教香港教區主教楊鳴章離世" [Liver failure brought on by cirrhosis, Michael Yeung, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong, has passed away]. Apple Daily 蘋果日報 (in Traditional Chinese). Retrieved 3 January 2019.
15. Collins, Charles (7 January 2019). "Pope appoints retired cardinal as apostolic administrator of Hong Kong diocese". Crux. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
16. "Stephen Chow named as new bishop of Hong Kong". RTHK. Government of Hong Kong. 17 May 2021. Archived from the original on 17 May 2021. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
17. "Resignations and Appointments". Holy See Press Office. Holy See. 17 May 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
18. O’Connell, Gerard (17 May 2021). "Head of Chinese Jesuits named new bishop of Hong Kong". America. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
19. 楊鳴章接任主教 過往言論曾受爭議 [Michael Yeung Ming-cheung takes over as Bishop, has attracted controversies over past statements]. Now TV News (in Chinese). 1 August 2017. Retrieved 7 October 2017. 他過往曾發表爭議性言論，包括以吸毒比喻同性戀和參與佔中的人。
20. ^ Ling, Yat-Tak (3 January 2019). "【楊鳴章病逝】言論惹火 吸毒論喻同性戀惹批評" [ Comments drew controversy. Criticized over comparing homosexuals to drug use]. hk01.com (in Traditional Chinese). Retrieved 3 January 2019.
21. 新主教楊鳴章:無理由不與林鄭來往 [New Bishop Michael Yeung Ming-cheung: I have no reasons to cut off ties with Lam Cheng]. Hong Kong Economic Journal (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 2 August 2017. Archived from the original on 9 October 2017. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
22. 楊鳴章說與林鄭月娥認識多年 無理由不與她來往 [Michael Yeung Ming-cheung said he has known Carrie Lam for years, has no reasons to cut off ties with her]. RTHK (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 2 August 2017. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
23. "New Hong Kong bishop's cross removal comments sparks anger". Union of Catholic Asian News. 4 August 2017. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
24. Zhen, Shuji (3 August 2017). 新主教杨鸣章：平反六四"是面铁墙"不会撼头下去 [New Bishop Yeung Ming-cheung: Rehabilitating June 4th "is an iron wall", and will not confront it directly]. Radio France Internationale (in Simplified Chinese). Retrieved 8 October 2017. 谈到惹起纷争的浙江温州拆卸天主堂十字架事件时，杨鸣章似乎还为中共作出袒护，他说内地近年频拆十字架，他认为问题较复杂，"是否关乎建筑物安全，都可能会……"
25. 楊鳴章稱內地拆十字架的事情複雜 尊重當局訂出的規條 [Michael Yeung Ming-cheung said the destruction of crosses in the Mainland is a complicated issue, will respect the rules set by authorities there]. RTHK (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 2 August 2017. Retrieved 8 October 2017.

• Biography
• Catholicism
• Hong Kong

• 1945 births
• 2019 deaths
• 21st-century Roman Catholic bishops in Hong Kong
• Roman Catholic bishops of Hong Kong
• Harvard Graduate School of Education alumni
• People from Shanghai
• Syracuse University alumni
• Deaths from liver failure
• Deaths from cirrhosis