天主教香港教區主教
周守仁樞機2025年聖誕文告
「聖言成了血肉，寄居在我們中間；
我們見了他的光榮」
若望福音1:14
各位香港市民和朋友：
當我們開始聽到聖誕歌或收到聖誕卡時，就知道聖誕節臨近了。我們正準備迎接這個帶著喜樂和希望的重大節日。然而，最近發生在大埔的嚴重火災，再次讓我們深深意識到生命的脆弱。那麼，在我們當中許多人仍感悲傷的時候，為甚麼還要慶祝聖誕節？
聖誕節正是給我們保證，天主子成為了我們當中的一員，完全分享我們人性中的「甜酸苦辣」。天主子自此與我們緊密相連，使我們不再在看不見未來的困境中苦苦掙扎。因為聖誕節意味著我們擁有了清晰的出路， 通往嶄新而充滿希望的人生。
但世界準備好迎接這個滿帶希望的慶節嗎？戰爭的叫囂幾乎每天都在發生，導致無謂的殺戮。一些國家以極端主義對抗極端主義，形成惡性循環，看不到盡頭。世界經濟改善不足，難以讓中產和勞動階層重燃希望。諷刺的是，富者愈富，貧者苦苦掙扎卻依然窮困。雖然金融業出現了復甦的跡象，但本地經濟依然緩慢。
人性：
天主子取了我們的人性，讓它再次尊貴起來。祂也把人類從連綿不絕的無助中拯救出來。人性既神聖又不完美。我們一定看過或讀過一些平凡人無私奉獻的事蹟，他們的英勇行為令受助者重拾尊嚴和希望。
但沒有人是完美的。我們能否容讓不完美，甚至接納不完美的實況？ 因為不完美是我們人性的一部分。它們能讓我們哭泣，但也讓我們歡笑； 能讓我們憤怒，但也讓我們體恤別人；能讓我們不願去寬恕，但也讓我們渴望被原諒。這正是我們複雜人性的美。
然而，人性變得不再是肯定的價值，反而是用來嘲諷別人的不足。我們要留意，這種否定終會導致人性的自我毀滅。與其迴避對方的缺點，不如滋養自己和別人內在的美善。畢竟，天主子完全接納了我們複雜的人性，沒有拒絕它。
人工智能：
2025年最吸引人和為人關注的新聞是人工智能（AI）。它是前景亮麗的發明，原意是要造福人群。的確，如果我們明智地運用人工智能，它能夠處理生活中的功能層面的事務，從而保護我們，促進發展。但人工智能最終會取代人類，或是取得人性嗎？
在人際關係上，人工智能的情況就不同了。例如，當我們與別人建立情感關係時，需要接受自己變得脆弱。我們會受到傷害，那可能是一而再的傷害。人工智能無法以這種方式與我們建立關係。在這方面，聖誕節告訴我們，天主子透過進入人類歷史，視我們為兄弟姊妹，也使自己變得脆弱。
當然，任何發明都帶有缺點。要處理應用人工智能的倫理困境， 從教育著手似乎是較好的選擇。如何透過跨學科課程，讓學生在受惠於人工智能的同時，也能批判地理解它對個人以至全球發展的潛在風險？
教育：
當小耶穌在納匝肋長大時，他必定接受了基礎教育， 讓他掌握必須的生活技能，了解他的猶太文化和宗教信仰，並陶成他的人格。
然而，香港的教育仍聚焦於以功利主義為導向，強調功能的幅度，仍然未轉向為以關懷和尊重去看待青年的個體性。教育本質上不是主要用來促進地區繁榮的工具，或為公職、專業服務或勞動市場等輸送畢業生。
教育的基本使命是教導孩子自我發現，而不是把他們塑造成千篇一律；培養自主，不要依賴；建立自尊，而非自誇；尊重他人，而不自我中心；樂於與他人攜手同行，而非凌駕於他人之上；渴望創造更美好的世界，而非安於現狀；培養與夥伴及他人共同建構更美好世界的能力。
在傳統的教育方式之外，還有其他的教育途徑。這些途徑或許更切合那些擁有不同學習風格、有待發掘自身才華的孩子。我們應該鼓勵這些不同的方式或途徑發展起來，讓我們的青年能夠在合適的平台上展現他們的才華。
青年：
福音書告訴我們，耶穌特別關愛兒童和青少年。在世界某些地區，貧困青年飽受自尊低落和缺乏自信的困擾，這情況在香港亦然。出乎意料的是，來自家境較好的青年情況好不了多少。他們面對類似的問題，包括無止境的競爭。難道沒有其他與「競爭」同樣重要、甚或更重要的價值嗎？ 生命和希望呢？
當途徑和機會日益收窄時，即使那些能幹的人也會感到疲倦，因為他們被迫參與由別人設計的比賽，而不是按自己的意願行事。他們習慣了生活在別人的期望和框架中，失去了主動性。我們過去常對青年說「跟隨你的心」，可悲的是，這句話已成為空洞的口號。
聖誕節是饋贈的節日。許多人都想回饋社會。他們該如何幫助青年締造希望？首先，要懷著同理心去聆聽和理解，並向青年探究，這樣才能認清如何回饋社會，該付出甚麼。我們希望他們的付出，會得到青年認同的。
香港—文化相滙與相融之處：
香港歷來都是一座移民城市，有著跨文化性的特徵。文化間的美妙不在於衝突，而是彼此相遇時帶來的創意融合。歧視非主流文化只會傷害香港。因此，我們需要敞開胸懷，接納跨文化的動力，歡迎移民，讓他們在我們的城市蓬勃發展。小耶穌一家也曾經是移民，他們為了躲避當時統治者的死亡威脅而逃往埃及。
最後，以上提及的不同事項，都不能單靠政府的政策便能得以落實。它們需要我們的善意、積極行動和合作，要跨越意識形態和傳統框界，才能共同建構一個帶有喜樂和希望的世界。讓我們成為文化間的橋樑；為需要希望的人而成為希望的傳承者，特別在慘劇發生後這艱難的時刻；成為一個交談並同行的群體！
藉此機會，我祝願大家、我們摯愛的香港、中國以及全世界一個欣悅的聖誕和一個充滿希望的2026年！
+周守仁樞機
Cardinal Stephen Chow, S.J.
Bishop of Hong Kong
Christmas Message 2025
“The Word became flesh
and made His dwelling among us,
and we saw His glory”
John 1:14
Dear fellow Hongkongers and friends,
When we start hearing Christmas carols or receiving Christmas cards, we know that Christmas is near. We are preparing to welcome this great festival of joy and hope. However, the recent disastrous fire at Tai Po brought us once again to a keen awareness of the fragility of life. So, why celebrate Christmas during this difficult time when many of us are still saddened by the tragedies?
Christmas is here precisely to assure us that the Son of God has become one of us, sharing fully the ‘sweetness, acidity, bitterness and heat’ of our humanity. The Son of God has since been intimately connected with us that we no longer struggle without a future. For Christmas means that we have a clear way out to a radically new and promising life.
But is our world ready to welcome this hope-filled festival? There are still war cries leading to senseless killings almost every day. Nations are applying extremism to counter extremism, creating a vicious cycle that shows no signs of ending. The world economy is not yielding sufficient improvements for the middle and working classes to become hopeful. Ironically, the rich continue to get richer while those struggling become poorer in their struggles. The local economy is still lagging, even though there are signs of recovery in the financial sector.
Humanity:
The Son of God takes on our humanity to make it noble once again. He also rescues humankind from our unending helplessness. Humanity is both sacred and imperfect. We must have seen or read about some altruistic acts by ordinary people that enabled their beneficiaries to, once again, live with dignity and hope through their heroic deeds.
But no one is perfect. Can we allow imperfections or even appreciate them for what they are? For imperfections are integral to our human nature. They can make us cry, but also laugh; angry, but also sympathetic; unforgiving, but also yearning for forgiveness. This is precisely the beauty of our complex humanity.
But humanity is becoming less of an affirming value than a cynical remark on the shortcomings of others. We should be aware that such a denial will lead to the self-destruction of humanity in the long run. Rather than eschewing each other’s imperfections, it is better to nourish the goodness in ourselves and in one another. After all, the Son of God has fully embraced our complex humanity, not rejected it.
Artificial Intelligence:
The news that has sparked high levels of enthusiasm and concern in 2025 is Artificial Intelligence (AI). It is a promising invention, supposedly for the good of humanity. It is true that AI can take care of the functional aspects of life, which is for our protection and development, if we use it wisely. But can AI ever replace or assume humanity?
It is a different scenario for AI when the focus is on human relationships. For example, when we enter into an affective relationship with another person, we need to allow ourselves to become vulnerable. We can be hurt, and probably more than once. AI cannot relate to us in that manner. Again, Christmas tells us that the Son of God has made himself vulnerable by entering our human history, calling us his sisters and brothers.
Of course, no invention is without drawbacks. To address the ethical dilemmas of applying AI, starting with education appears to be the better option. How can an inter-disciplinary curriculum prepare our students to benefit from AI, while critically understanding its pitfalls for personal to global developments?
Education:
When little Jesus was growing up in Nazareth, he must have received a basic education that equipped him with essential life skills, knowledge of his Jewish culture and religious faith, and the formation of his personhood.
However, education in Hong Kong has yet to shift its focus from functionality underscored by a utilitarian emphasis to a loving respect for the individuality of our young ones. Education should not be taken as an instrument that essentially serves the territory’s prosperity by providing young graduates for civil services, professional services, or the labour market, etc.
The essential mission of education is to teach children for self-discovery, not to be molded like the rest; to foster self-agency, not dependence; to build self-esteem, not boastfulness; for respect for others, not self-centeredness; for willingness to reach out and walk with others, not lording over them; to cultivate a deep desire for a better world, not to be sedentary in their own comfort zones; and to nurture a capacity to co-construct a better world with their peers and others.
There are other educational pathways besides the conventional way. These may be more suitable for children who thrive on different learning styles and have gifts yet to be discovered. We should encourage these different pathways to shine out so that our young people can celebrate their gifts on suitable platforms.
Young people:
Jesus, as we know from the Gospel, has a soft spot for children and youth. Underprivileged young people are struggling with low self-esteem and weak self-confidence in some parts of the world, including Hong Kong. Ironically, young people coming from better-off families are not faring that much better either. They, too, are suffering from similar issues, including constant competition. Are there no other values that are equally or more important than being competitive? What about life and hope?
When the pathways and opportunities are narrowing, even those who are capable are getting tired because they are being forced to engage in someone’s game rather than their own. They are well conditioned to live in other people’s expectations and frameworks, leaving little initiative in them. We used to say, “follow your heart” to our young people. Sadly, it has become an empty slogan.
Christmas is a time of giving. There are individuals who want to give back to society. How can they help create hope for our young people? First, listen empathically, understand, and learn from the young ones before they can identify how and what to give back. We hope that their giving back will be truly appreciated by our young people.
Hong Kong — where cultures meet and fuse:
Hong Kong has long been a city of migrants where inter-culturality is its hallmark. The beauty of cultures lies not in clashing but in creative fusions as they encounter one another. Discriminating against cultures other than the conventional ones will only hurt Hong Kong. Hence, we need to open ourselves to intercultural dynamics and welcome migrants so they can thrive in our city. Jesus and his family were migrants when they escaped to Egypt from the death threat ordered by their ruler of the time.
Finally, none of the above can be achieved with government policy alone. They require our goodwill, initiatives and collaborations beyond ideological and conventional boundaries, so that they can contribute to building a joyful and hopeful world. Let us be bridges among cultures, messengers of hope to those who need hope, especially during this difficult time after the tragedy, and a community that dialogues and journeys together!
I take this opportunity to wish you, our beloved Hong Kong, China and the world a joyful Christmas and a hope-filled 2026!
+ Stephen Cardinal Chow, S.J.
來源：天主教香港教區
