China’s Catholic crackdown

It continues. Reuters has now picked up an Asia News story about Catholic persecution in China, and followed up on it here.

A senior official in China’s state-sanctioned Catholic church on Saturday denied his association was cracking down on churches loyal to the Vatican following an unconfirmed media report that nine priests were arrested this week.

AsiaNews, a missionary news service close to the Vatican, reported Friday that nine priests from the underground Catholic church in north China’s Hebei province were arrested by police Wednesday as they gathered to pray near the city of Baoding.

Hebei province has about 1.5 million underground Catholics, faithful to the true Church. Arrests and persecutions keep happening in spite of appeals and outcries by human rights groups and the Vatican. But in China, the response is usually….what arrests? Persecutions?

Liu Bainian, vice chairman of the association, said he had heard of no such arrests and denied there was a campaign under way to crush the church, which is loyal to the Pope.

Now listen carefully to the statement of this “official” church spokesman, sponsored by the state.

“It would be impossible for our association to crack down on illegal or underground churches,” Liu said. “China has always provided education and assistance for underground priests.”

That’s a jaw-dropper, and his follow-up proves it.

Liu said underground churches that violate the law would be dealt with by police, not the Catholic Patriotic Association.

There aren’t legal underground churches (that’s an oxymoron) and “underground churches that violate the law.” Underground means under radar, supposedly.

China’s government bars Catholics from having contact with the Vatican and allows worship only in government-monitored churches.

(There you are.) 

Millions remain loyal to the Pope and worship in secret, but priests and members of their congregations are frequently detained and harassed.

Reuters tried to ask the oppressors why they keep doing this, but…

A man who answered the phone at the Hebei Public Security Bureau said he had not heard of any arrests. He refused to give his name and hung up.

This is stating the obvious, but what do you expect a man at the Hebei Public Security Bureau to say? So, Reuters tried another number. 

 The phone rang unanswered at the Baoding Public Security Bureau.

They probably have caller ID.

Pope Benedict has taken his message straight to the Chinese officials, and he firmly wants them to establish religious freedom there and stop running a phony parallel church. Sandro has a number of good pieces following the progression of Vatican-Chinese relations at Chiesa.