Unity in Diversity through the Vegan Diet: Interview with Father Anthony Chang Sang Loy (vegan), Part 1 of 3

The Reverend Father Anthony Chang Sang Loy is a Catholic priest residing in Hong Kong, who is well known for his numerous environmentally conscious undertakings through various groups and organizations. The Reverend is a compassionate vegan, believing that the peaceful plant-based diet has a major role in protecting the planet’s ecosystem and environment. He is the founder and chairman of the Catholic Messengers of Green Consciousness and the Hong Kong Catholic Vegetarian Association, organizations that aspire to bring about the essential peace among all of God’s creations, while the power to do so is still in our hands. Let us now meet the Reverend Father Anthony Chang and learn more about his interesting journey of faith and his pure impressions of the priesthood. “The idea of becoming a priest emerged when I got in touch with the priests. Observing them very much devoted to their work, I felt it was very good. At the same time, they were focused on God, their faith and Jesus Christ, and I also loved that. During that period, I had a deeper understanding of Christ, as He said that He had come to serve, and not to be served. He was willing to care about people and serve people, which fascinated me. So, I decided to become a priest and to work in this way.” “When I was a child, I already knew that God is everywhere; I liked to look at the sky and the sea. Looking at the sky and the sea, I felt God’s presence within. That was the way how I felt God; He is really everywhere. This awareness is still with me after I became a priest.” “If you pay attention to the vitality of the nature and the relationship among the animals, they reveal God’s love and that can be learnt from the animals. You can learn a lot in this way, both in mental, spiritual and knowledge aspects.” “‘If you want to heal quickly, you have to quit eating any meat.’ I quit eating any meat quickly and completely, as it was painful, and I finally understood why I had to do this. I read books and knew it was the best way to eat: quit eating all meat and be a vegan.”