(Read to the end for an invitation!)
Jimmy Lai — a longtime friend of the Napa Institute — has been sentenced to 20 years in a Chinese Communist prison. He’s 78 years old. His crime? Standing for freedom — and standing up to communism. For these acts, he has spent years in prison, much of it in solitary confinement. His cell’s only window is covered. He is reportedly allowed out for just one hour a day.
Jimmy is a convert to Catholicism, baptized in 1997. A dear friend of mine, Wall Street Journal columnist Bill McGurn, is his Godfather. Like many converts, Jimmy’s faith burns especially bright. I saw that firsthand in 2019. Steph and I were traveling to Hong Kong for a conference. Providentially, our hotel was next to one of the few English-speaking Catholic churches in the city. I asked Bill whether it might be possible to meet Jimmy, who at that point had not yet been formally charged. He arranged for us to meet at Jimmy’s personal residence. We were joined by his wife Teresa and Cardinal Joseph Zen.
It felt somewhat clandestine. After Mass, a black car picked us up. We were driven through a large gate into his residence. I noticed numerous photographers stationed outside. They were a kind of paparazzi, but instead of selling pictures to the media, they sold photos to communist authorities.The next day, a Beijing-affiliated outlet published a photograph of Steph and me in the car. The caption read: “Traitor Jimmy Lai and traitor Cardinal Zen meeting with unknown foreigners.”
We had a lovely dinner, filled with lively conversation and reflections on the meaning of faith and freedom. I invited Jimmy to speak at the Napa Institute in the summer of 2020, which was ultimately converted to a digital format due to COVID. Jimmy graciously agreed and delivered a powerful presentation virtually, which was viewed by thousands. (The talk is linked below.)
Now Jimmy will never give another speech. He’s locked behind bars until the day he dies. TheJimmy holds British citizenship, but the United Kingdom has limited leverage to secure his release. Any real progress will likely require American involvement. Recently, Teresa and their daughter Claire met with Pope Leo. That in itself speaks volumes. The Vatican’s relationship with China is delicate and complex, a geopolitical and ecclesial tightrope. Yet the Pope is sending a clear message of support for Jimmy, who chose not to flee Hong Kong and will now likely die for the freedom that springs from faith. .
Jimmy’s witness reminds me of Saint Thomas More. More’s family begged him to simply say the words the king required—words that, on the surface, might have seemed inconsequential. But More understood that principles are not mere words. He refused, and he paid with his life.Jimmy also reminds me of another great man of faith who’s surely a saint in heaven right now: Cardinal George Pell.
Cardinal Pell, a friend of the Napa Institute for many years, was a deeply holy man who was falsely accused of abuse in the 2010s. He returned to Australia to face the accusations, even though he could have remained in the Vatican, where he had been tasked by the Pope with reforming Vatican finances. He had immunity. He could have avoided the ordeal. Instead, he chose to face the charges.
He was convicted at a trumped up trial and ultimately spent 405 days in prison, most time in solitary confinement. Thankfully, Australia’s High Court unanimously overturned the conviction in a 7–0 decision. But while justice was served, it only came after the Cardinal had suffered more than a year of unjust treatment in prison. He wrote a Prison Journal during that time–you can read it today. It’s a masterpiece of faith in the face of persecution. I once referred to Cardinal Pell as a “living saint.” He immediately asked me not to use that phrase again, saying that it diluted the brand. But he surely was, and is.
Now I suspect that Jimmy Lai is on the path to sainthood. Like Cardinal Pell, his fidelity to Jesus Christ under extreme pressure reflects a level of courage most of us will never be asked to demonstrate. Severe suffering has a purifying power. What he is enduring would test anyone’s faith.
I ask you to keep Jimmy Lai in your prayers. I pray daily for Cardinal Pell’s intercession. If such men are not in heaven, I am not sure who is.
Their witness reminds us: freedom is never free, and faith is never theoretical. It is lived—and sometimes suffered—for the truth.
I invite you to join me in reflecting on Jimmy’s trials and tribulations. Through the Napa Institute Experiences, we’re convening a small gathering at a hotel owned by Jimmy Lai’s family in Niagara Falls, Canada on October 9-12, 2026. That’s right before the Napa Institute Eucharistic Procession (Register Here) October 13, 2026 and Napa Institute Faith and Business Conference (Register Here) October 14, 2026, which will be held nearby in New York City.
Please register here if you’d like to attend. And for further details contact Alphonso Lopez Pinto: alphonso.pinto@napa-institute.org.
Watch Jimmy Lai at the Napa Institute Summer Conference Here
Pray The Novena for Jimmy’s Consolation and Release Here
Watch a Napa Legal Podcast Episode Discussing Jimmy’s Sentencing here
