Underground priests removed in China for holding summer youth camp

575 0

GANSU, China (CNS) — Two underground parish priests in China’s Gansu province have been removed after being accused of holding a summer camp for a youth group at their church.

Father Wang Yiqin of Hui county and Father Li Shidong of Leling in Shandong province were serving Maijiqu Ganquan Church in Tianshui Diocese, ucanews.com reported.

The Tianshui Municipal Ethnic and Religious Affairs Committee sent a letter asking the local branch of the state-controlled Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association to send personnel to replace the priests, who were accused of holding the camp for the Bosco Youth Group at the church and sent back to their hometowns.

On July 21, the committee issued a letter stating that no association personnel were involved with the church, which had become a base for underground clergy.

It asked the association to appoint personnel “to strengthen the management of religious affairs in accordance with the law and according to the regulations on religious affairs.”

Father Zhao Jianzhang of Tianshui’s open church is deputy director and secretary-general of the Gansu Catholic Patriotic Association and Catholic Administration Commission.

He told ucanews.com that he had been informed of the incident and the parish office had received a letter, but he was out of town and would handle the incident when he returned.

“There are people in the government who want to break the current situation. They do not allow the underground church to exist and must convert it to be open because only Tianshui in northwest China still has an underground community,” a source said.

Maijiqu Ganquan Church is one of only two underground churches in Tianshui Diocese. Built in 1921, the church had been approved by Yuanbeidao district government.

Related Post

A statue of Mary overlooks the Oldenburg Academy of the Immaculate Conception in Oldenburg, Ind., May 16. On the entryway of the school is written an excerpt from St. Francis of Assisi's "Canticle of Creatures," recalling that the school was founded by the Sisters of St. Francis of Oldenburg. (CNS photo/Katie Rutter)

Encore: Preserving Catholic school’s charism ‘has to be intentional’

Posted by - August 11, 2018 0
OLDENBURG, Ind. (CNS) — Although women religious — once synonymous with Catholic education — have been disappearing from U.S. classrooms…
A man prays during a special Advent Mass Dec. 16 for families and friends who are experiencing grief during the Christmas season at Holy Cross Mausoleum in Edmonton, Alberta. Archbishop Richard Smith of Edmonton told Mass-goers that the birth of Jesus tells the faithful that God loves his people and wants to draw near to them when they experience loss. (CNS photo/Matthew Bodnarek, Grandin Media)

Mass, fellowship helps grieving families recall loved ones at Christmas

Posted by - December 30, 2017 0
EDMONTON, Alberta (CNS) — When Gina Marini and her family gather for Christmas dinner, they will continue the tradition they…