The wife and daughter of jailed Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai met with Pope Leo XIV during the General Audience on Wednesday, October 15.
Lai’s wife, Teresa Lai, and daughter, Claire Lai, were granted a private audience with the Pope ahead of the verdict in Lai’s ongoing trial, expected either later this year or early next year. If convicted, he faces a life sentence.
Both women wore traditional black dresses and veils, in keeping with Vatican protocol for women meeting the Pope.
Jimmy Lai — a Hong Kong businessman and media tycoon — was first arrested in August 2020 under the National Security Law for Hong Kong. He has been a long-standing critic of the Chinese Communist Party and of Hong Kong’s political establishment, primarily through his now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper, Apple Daily.
After being briefly released on bail, Lai was rearrested and has remained in custody since. With only five years of formal education, Lai became a vocal advocate for freedom of speech and press responsibility following the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre and the tightening control of the Communist regime over Hong Kong.
Soon after, he converted to Catholicism. His wife, Teresa, once remarked on his faith journey:
“He knows that a fight is coming and that he will need God’s help for this fight.”
That fight continues. Lai’s outspoken defense of democratic values has made him a target of the Chinese authorities. Since his 2020 arrest, his trial has faced repeated delays and irregularities. He reportedly spends over 23 hours a day in solitary confinement, without access to Holy Communion or other sacraments. With the trial having concluded in August, the verdict is expected soon. One of the three designated judges has said it will be delivered “in due course.”International political and religious leaders have repeatedly called for Lai’s release and a fair trial, while he continues to maintain his innocence.