Hong Kong's Catholic leader Stephen Chow has called on people to stay hopeful for the future in his Christmas message.

Cardinal Chow said amid the slower-than-expected recovery of the global and local economies, wars and geopolitical tensions, people should continue to have faith - and be extra supportive to young people.

"Christmas and the New Year are a time for hope, love, peace and dreams. Without hope and dreams there will be no future, especially for our young people. We need to walk alongside them and empower their creative hope and dreams," he said.

The cardinal added everyone can step up to provide love and hope, especially to those who are going through tough times.

"We can think of those who are struggling in war zones with seemingly endless torment, displaced persons and refugees looking for a dignified future, prisoners waiting for a new life, married couples who cannot see a sufficiently stable future for childbearing, young people who fail to identify convincing reasons to envisage a hopeful future, the elderly who are lonely and abandoned, and those who are sick and lonely in hospitals," he said.

Similarly, the Archbishop of Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui, Andrew Chan, called for forgiveness, peace, reconciliation and service.

"We know how easy it is to be blinded and distracted by the visible wealth around us, but it is even easier to be blinded by the invisible power of this world. It is easy to say that with power, comes responsibility, but far too often we see people taking power and using it without holding back," he said in a video message.

"There is nothing more powerful than God, and what he does with that ultimate power is to love and forgive."