BEIJING: Hong Kong Cardinal Joseph Zen has earned a reputation as a fighter — and the octogenarian’s latest battle pits him against Vatican officials and Beijing over a deal he believes would devastate the Catholic Church. The former Bishop of Hong Kong is well-known in the city for his vocal opposition to political suppression and his support for democratic reform. But 86-year-old Zen’s latest cause goes to the heart of his beliefs about the Catholic Church and what it should represent. It comes as the Vatican moves closer to a historic agreement with China over the major stumbling block of who ordains bishops — a deal Zen fears would backfire against the underground Catholic Church in the mainland which is routinely persecuted by Chinese authorities. “For several decades the government has made it hard for them but they remained loyal to Rome and the pope. And now they’re asked to surrender?” Zen said in an interview with AFP.