News Archive China Police demolish church under construction in Hebei Rome April 4, 2002(Fides) On April 11 police demolished a Catholic church in Xiao Zhao village in the province of Hebei, 200 kilometers south of Beijing. Xiao Zhao village is in the underground diocese of Zhen Ding. The local Catholics, who had obtained the land and regular building permit for the church from the local authorities, fear that the demolition orders may have come from higher authorities. Early yesterday morning, a security force of about 2000 men entered the village. Military tanks pushed down the semi-finished walls of the building and the foundations were destroyed with explosives. The local Catholic community, about 700 people, could do nothing to stop the demolition. Eyewitnesses say they simply stood and watched, "crying and praying". The construction of the church, work began three months ago, had been completed by about one third and already cost about US$ 60,000 donated by various benefactors. The Bishop of Zhen Ding, underground Bishop Julius Jia Zhiguo, aged 66, is a very dedicated man who is confined to house arrest periodically. Most recently on March 21 he was arrested and questioned by the police who forbade him to celebrate public religious services for Holy Week and Easter. Two years ago humanitarian organisations denounced China for destroying more than 1,500 temples and churches in Zhejiang region, south east China. The Chinese government bans people from praying in places of worship not officially registered with its Religious Affairs Bureau. (Fides) China Releases Bishop Jia After Detention VATICAN CITY, MARCH 26, 2002 (Zenit.org).- Catholic Bishop Jia Zhiguo, of the underground Church in China, was released after three days of detention, the bishop announced. The news was confirmed today by Vatican Radio, which added that Chinese police have asked the bishop not to celebrate Mass publicly. Bishop Jia, 67, of the Diocese of Zhengdiing, Hebei, was arrested Thursday and released Saturday. He has been arrested several times in recent years. ZE02032605 China Arrests "Underground" Catholic Bishop STAMFORD, Connecticut, MARCH 25, 2002 (Zenit.org).- Bishop Jia Zhiguo, the underground Catholic prelate of Zhengdiing, Hebei, was arrested last week, the U.S.-based Cardinal Kung Foundation reported. The foundation said it had no word on his whereabouts. Jia Zhiguo, 67, was ordained a bishop in 1980. He was previously in prison for about 20 years, and has been under strict surveillance for years. Joseph Kung, president of the Cardinal Kung Foundation, explained in a press statement: "At a time when China declared its commitment to combat terror, it creates terror among its own religious believers." "At the joint press conference of President Bush and President Zheng Zhimin in Beijing recently, President Zheng stated that religious freedom in China is guaranteed by China's Constitution," Kung emphasized. "President Zhang further stated that those clergy that were arrested were [found to] ... have broken the law. This is obviously not true." China to Reinforce Control over Religions BEIJING, DEC. 14, 2001 (Zenit.org).- President Jiang Zemin expressed support for the Chinese Communist Party's control over religions in the country, the Beijing press reported Thursday. The Chinese leader gave an outline of his religious policy during a conference a day earlier. The president's speech was delivered in the midst of an aggressive campaign by the regime against Catholic communities in some regions which do not accept the state-controlled "patriotic" church, and against the Falun Gong group. "Believers must love their country, support the socialist system and the direction of the Communist Party, and respect the laws of the country," Jiang said, the People's Daily reported. "Religion must never be allowed when it opposes the direction of the party or the socialist system, or destroys national reunification or ethnic unity," the president added. Stressing that members of the Communist Party must be atheists, the Chinese president called for closer control of the people's religious practices. Those who are not Communist leaders, however, should benefit from "liberty of religious belief," the president added. ZE01121421 Chinese bishop's activities limited; priests sent to remote parishes HONG KONG Dec. 12, 2001(CNS) -- The activities of a Catholic bishop in northwestern China have been restricted, and three of his priests were sent to remote parishes after being under surveillance and warned not to contact him. Hanzhong Bishop Bartholomew Yu Chengti, who was secretly ordained a bishop in 1981, is living in a rural village outside Hanzhong. Meanwhile, Fathers Du Baozang, Zan Jianzhou and Zan Shengrang of Hanzhong Diocese were released after more than a month of house arrest, a mainland source told UCA News, an Asian church news agency based in Thailand, Dec. 10. The three priests, who are not affiliated with the government-approved Catholic Church, were taken by government officials Nov. 2 to Hanzhong Socialist School for "re-education" to join the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, which officially spurns ties to the Vatican. However, even after their release Dec. 7, the priests still refused to join the patriotic association, the source said. Bishop Disappears, Priests Confined, Convents Closed Rome (Fides) Nov. 28, 2001 - According to a November 28 report by Italian daily newspaper La Republica, the Catholic diocese of Feng Xiang in Shaanxi (Central China) could disappear. In the past month police have arrested Bishop Lucas Li Jingfeng and his assistant, both men have since disappeared, confined 12 priests for indoctrination courses, closed a monastery and two convents and sent seminarians, monks and nuns home. All these persons are part of an underground Catholic community which refuses to join the Patriotic Association. Quoting "local sources" La Republica says that police went to Feng Xiang cathedral and took Bishop Lucas Li telling him to "pack a lot of clothes" for a "long journey" and a long political session. The security officers told the Bishop "the government says you are invited". The 81 year old Bishop was taken with his assistant to an unknown locality. Since November 4 nothing is known of their whereabouts. Feng Xiang diocese is unique. It is perhaps the only Catholic diocese in mainland China which has only an underground community, there is no "official" community here. Until recently the bishop, 16 priests, 14 brothers, 25 nuns and about 20,000 Catholics were free to live their faith in a number of parishes and convents. But last Summer a branch of the Religious Affairs Bureau was opened in Feng Xiang to register Catholics in the official Catholic Church as members of the Patriotic Association, (PA) a government controlled body headed by Communist Party members, mostly atheists. Also on December 4 police and security officials went to various parishes calling priests and parishioners to church. At least 12 priests were taken in custody. The clergymen have been confined in 3 or 4 hotels for "courses" on government "Regulations on Religion" (cfr Fides 27 October 2000), which give instructions on how Catholic activity must be controlled. Witnesses say the police threatened the priests: "If you do not join the PA you will no longer be considered priests, your ordination will be declared invalid. You will not be allowed to go to work in church, you will have to stay home". All the priests were ordained by Bishop Lucas Li. The government Regulations say a priest may only carry out his ministry with government control and registration. In the meantime the same La Republica sources say that on November 21 police went to Feng Xiang monastery and told all the brothers and novices to go home. The same day security guards went to a building next to the cathedral and sent away the 15 seminarians and 4 nuns in charge. The same happened in a convent of 20 sisters in a parish in Waiyoutou. Feng Xiang diocese is now left with two elderly priests, aged 90 and 78 and in poor health, respectively at the cathedral and in a small parish. A local Catholic says "They are trying to eliminate our diocese. We know all about these pressures. All we want to do is to live in freedom of religion, in communion with the Pope and the universal Church. And we are not afraid," he says. Two years ago a secret Chinese Communist Party document was published abroad. The document said that in view of possible diplomatic relations China - Holy See, the Party would reinforce the Patriotic Association striking and eliminating all the most irremovable clergy and faithful. The document said that those accepting "government measures [registration of name, parish, number of members etc] but refusing to obey the Patriotic Church "will undergo a year of re-education at Patriotic Association centres. Those refusing to undergo re-education "will lose the right to carry out priestly activity". Numerous Chinese bishops, official and underground, have asked the authorities to suppress the Patriotic Association and let the Bishops themselves be responsible to the government for Church activity. So far Beijing has refused. (Fides 28/11/2001) Catholics Refuse to Join Patriotic Association; Church Razed 3rd Time HONG KONG (CNS) -- A local government in eastern China demolished a newly rebuilt Catholic church for the third time in 18 months because Catholics there refused to join a government-recognized association. Catholics in Linjiayuan village, Zhejiang province, rebuilt their church during the National Day holidays Oct. 1-7. However, the government demolished it Oct. 25, reported UCA News, an Asian church news agency based in Thailand. A local Catholic source told UCA News Oct. 26, "Government officials said if we join the local Catholic Patriotic Association, they will not tear down the church." They did not comply, he said, adding that Catholics in the village are very angry. Catholic News Service China Calls Papal Message a "Positive Sign" But Wants Pope to Apologize for Canonizing Martyrs Last Year BEIJING, OCT. 30, 2001 (Zenit.org).- China welcomed John Paul II´s request for forgiveness for the past faults of the Church´s children in that country. But it also wants him to apologize for last year´s canonization of 120 China martyrs. Sun Yuxi, spokesman of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said in a press conference that the Pope´s request for forgiveness is a "positive sign." But he added: "We see that the papal message does not include clear requests for pardon for the canonization of saints. We regret this." John Paul II is willing to travel to China if this would help to normalize Vatican-Beijing relations, the secretary of the Vatican Congregation for Catholic Education, Archbishop Giuseppe Pittau, said last week. Last year Beijing protested the canonization of 120 martyrs, whom the Communist authorities regard as "criminals," and stated that this "insult to the Chinese people" removed any possibility of rapprochement with the Vatican. John Paul II broke the ice by sending a message to the Chinese people last Wednesday, on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of Jesuit missionary Father Matteo Ricci´s arrival in China. The message asked for forgiveness for past errors of the Church´s children. The Foreign Ministry spokesman said: "The Chinese government has always wanted to improve its relations with the Vatican, basing itself on two fundamental principles: non-interference in internal affairs with the pretext of religion, and recognition of the People´s Republic of China as the only legitimate government for the whole of China, including Taiwan." Several Vatican personalities, including Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo Sodano and Archbishop Pittau, have stated on repeated occasions that the second condition is easy to resolve. Vatican diplomatic representation had been in Beijing until 1957, when it had to move to Taiwan after the People´s Republic severed its relations with Rome. The first question referred to by Beijing is more difficult, since the Communist government believes the appointment of bishops by the Pontiff constitutes interference in China´s "internal affairs." Archbishop Pittau said last week that "John Paul II has already thought of technical solutions" to surmount this problem. These solutions, the prelate added, will be proposed to Beijing as soon as the occasion presents itself. "There is no issue that can separate us," he added. In Vietnam, for example, the Holy See presents a list of candidates for the governance of a diocese to the Communist government. The authorities choose the bishop that suits them most from the list. "Prior to the [October 2000] canonization, there were already contacts to improve relations between China and the Vatican," Sun explained. "However, the canonization has meant a new obstacle." "We hope that the Vatican will take concrete measures to remove the obstacles in order to create a propitious atmosphere for the re-establishment of contacts and negotiations," he added. ZE01103009 back to index of Chinese articles