Friday, December 29, 2006 at 1:01am
Nine priests arrested in China
Police of the northern province of Hebei arrested nine unofficial priests of the diocese of Baoding on Wednesday. The group had met to study in a place around 30 km south of Baoding.
The official reason for their arrest is unknown, but it is likely because they were meeting for a time of prayer during the Christmas season in a place unknown to the government, AsiaNews reported Friday from Rome.
The nine priests are: Fr Wen Daoxiu; Fr Li Shujun; Fr Li Yongshun; Fr.Wang Quanjun; Fr Wang Qiongwei; Fr Pang Yongxing; Fr Pang Haixing; Fr Dong Guoyin and Fr Liu Honggeng.
Hebei has the largest number of Catholics (1.5 million) in China, most of them belonging to the underground Church that refuses to be subject to the control of the Patriotic Association (PA), which was set up by the Communist Party to build a church detached from Rome.
The PA has launched a campaign of arrests of bishops, priests and believers of Hebei. According to AsiaNews, at least six underground bishops of Hebei disappeared after arrest, including the Ordinary of the diocese of Baoding, James Su Zhimin, 73, who was arrested in 1996.
The auxiliary bishop of Baoding, Mgr Francis Shuxin, was released Aug. 24 after 10 years in jail.
The official reason for their arrest is unknown, but it is likely because they were meeting for a time of prayer during the Christmas season in a place unknown to the government, AsiaNews reported Friday from Rome.
The nine priests are: Fr Wen Daoxiu; Fr Li Shujun; Fr Li Yongshun; Fr.Wang Quanjun; Fr Wang Qiongwei; Fr Pang Yongxing; Fr Pang Haixing; Fr Dong Guoyin and Fr Liu Honggeng.
Hebei has the largest number of Catholics (1.5 million) in China, most of them belonging to the underground Church that refuses to be subject to the control of the Patriotic Association (PA), which was set up by the Communist Party to build a church detached from Rome.
The PA has launched a campaign of arrests of bishops, priests and believers of Hebei. According to AsiaNews, at least six underground bishops of Hebei disappeared after arrest, including the Ordinary of the diocese of Baoding, James Su Zhimin, 73, who was arrested in 1996.
The auxiliary bishop of Baoding, Mgr Francis Shuxin, was released Aug. 24 after 10 years in jail.