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| The Cambodian Catholic Church presently has five seminarians studying to become priests at the Diocesan Major Seminary in Phnom Penh. Today Cardinal Joseph Zen, the Cardinal Emeritus of Hong Kong, spoke at the seminary to a group of 70 people about the Year of the Priest proclaimed by Pope Benedict and about his personal experience as a priest and as the head of the church in Hong Kong where he was in constant tension with the government of China for his outspoken defense of political, human, and religious rights. |
| Bill Burns, who teaches English at the seminary, and Fr. Bruno Cosme, the seminary rector, introduced Cardinal Zen to the assembled priests, brothers, sisters, and lay people. |
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| Fr. Olivier, the newly appointed bishop-designate of Phnom Penh, also introduced Cardinal Zen who is spending three days in Phnom Penh meeting various groups. |
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| Cardinal Zen strongly defended the rights of Hong Kong citizens and of the Catholic Church in Hong Kong against attempts at limitations of the freedoms of the Hong Kong people. |
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| At the end of the afternoon, Cardinal Zen was presented several mementos of his trip to Cambodia by two of the seminarians. |
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