Posted on 09/11/2007 9:43:13 AM PDT by NYer
A bishop who led an underground congregation of Roman Catholics and was repeatedly detained in China for his loyalty to the Vatican died in police custody, a monitoring group said Tuesday.
Bishop Han Dingxiang, 71, was cremated within six hours of his death Sunday and buried in a public cemetery with no priests or other faithful present, both groups said.
Han, who had been under house arrest or other forms of detention for nearly eight years, died while being treated for an unspecified illness, the U.S.-based Cardinal Kung Foundation said. The group, which has long had close contacts with China's underground church members, did not cite sources for its information.
AsiaNews, the Vatican-affiliated missionary news agency, said Han suffered from lung cancer and reported that Han's close relatives were called to the hospital when he fell into a coma. AsiaNews, which also has close contacts in the underground church, quoted an unnamed priest in Han's Yongnian diocese.
"Why were the priests of his diocese not allowed to bless his remains, and together with his faithful, to pray for this heroic shepherd and to view his body?" asked the statement from the Cardinal Fung Foundation. "This is not only inhuman and atrocious but also suspicious."
There have been sporadic reports of the deaths in custody of bishops and other ranking priests in the underground church, many of whom are in their 70s or 80s.
Han was appointed by the Vatican as bishop of Yongnian Diocese in northern China's Hebei province, where he led underground Catholics, who reject the authority of the Communist Party-controlled Chinese Catholic church.
China's officially atheist communist government requires that Christians of all denominations worship in state-registered churches. Millions, however, instead worship in underground churches — known as "house churches" because services are often held in private homes — risking arrest, fines and official harassment.
The government-recognized church allows Catholics to hold the pope as their spiritual leader, but rejects the Vatican's insistence that only it can appoint bishops.
Bishops loyal to Rome are often appointed in secret, although Beijing and the Vatican have attempted to compromise in some cases by finding candidates acceptable to both. Beijing forced Chinese Catholics to cut ties to Rome in 1951, and the two sides have no diplomatic relations.
Born May 17, 1937, Han served 19 years in a labor camp starting in 1960, the foundation's statement said. AsiaNews said he was detained for "counterrevolutionary activities" and sent to a camp in northern China to work as a peasant. He was freed in 1979, was ordained a priest in 1986 and in 1989 was named unofficial bishop of Yongnian.
The foundation said Han was detained at least 11 times while serving as bishop, and that the last was in November 1999 while he was leading a religious retreat for nuns in Hebei's capital, Shijiazhuang.
After four years in prison, he was then taken to a police building where he was kept in isolation for another two years, AsiaNews and the Foundation said.
AsiaNews said he was treated with respect by the police and allowed to celebrate Mass, but forbidden contact with the outside world. In 2005, he was taken to an unknown location, and had not been heard from until his death, AsiaNews said.
An officer with the Yongnian Public Security Bureau who would only give his surname, Chen, said he had no knowledge of Han's case.
Meanwhile, the Chinese gov’t has ordained another RC bishop.
Very sad. The Chinese Catholics and clergy are in my prayers. It seems the government is making a big statement.
Chicomm beasts.
Prayers for Bishop Han Dingxiang.
I can just imagine.
And these are the animals that our government has opened the door to trade with? We Americans are a strange lot these days. We know all about China's forced abortions, organ harvesting, repression of Christianity and maltreatment of their citizens, yet we wish to trade with them and strengthen their government. Though we know they manufacture cheasy products and even sell us dangerous and/or deadly products, we still dance the dance of economic trade with them. Odd, isn't it, that we punish some one like Fidel Castro with economic embargo, yet do enormous trade with a far worse and far more dangerous Communist China.
OOps, sorry for the confusing opening. I used a post from a previous article.
Another martyr enters Heaven.
Remains cremated and dispersed cannot be venerated as relics. Perhaps the authorities realize this.
‘Made in China’
And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held.
And they cried with a loud voice, saying: How long, O Lord (Holy and True), dost thou not judge and revenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
And white robes were given to every one of them one; And it was said to them that they should rest for a little time till their fellow servants and their brethren, who are to be slain even as they, should be filled up.
THE APOCALYPSE OF ST. JOHN THE APOSTLE Chapter 6:9-11
**(cremated and buried within 6 hours)**
Since he was and true Catholic bishop (underground) perhaps they had been torturing him and wanted no one to be able to witness any marks, etc. on his body including starvation indicators.
Eternal Rest grant unto him, O Lord,
and let Perpetual Peace shine upon him.
Most Favored Nation status...!
Commie @#&^*(%$ wouldn't want to leave any evidence of that, either.
May God rest his soul.
“Odd, isn’t it, that we punish some one like Fidel Castro with economic embargo, yet do enormous trade with a far worse and far more dangerous Communist China.”
Odd, isn’t it? It’s as though blinders are on most people and definitely the government and corporations.
A friend thinks that the spirit of greed and love of money has overtaken many.
I’ve become somewhat of a crank here because I talk about the saints and martyrs in China, slavery, and godless communism working to destroy the west, but people agree and then buy Chinese goods and support China’s markets in materials and their stocks.
I told one kid to do without things, to stop buying Chinese products and he shook his head.
What will it take? I have no idea.
MURDERED!
A return to Faith, and nothing else.
The further America falls away from her Christian roots the more worldly she becomes. Not all that long ago we avoided doing business with China like the plague, having the wisdom and good sense to seperate ourselves from evil. But I guess having most of the world's wealth wasn't enough for our great 'leaders'. Under the pretense of "spreading economic opportunity" to foreign lands our elected leadership has drawn us into the dangers of globalism and economic enmeshment with our enemies. They told us that opening up world trade to China would make them desire 'democracy' and freedom. Ironically, all it's done is bolster their military might and enable them to compete with the West in the world market.
I hold no MBA, as does President Bush, but I always knew that China has nothing whatsoever to offer the United States, except for cheap labor and cheasy manufacturing. In other words, our unholy alliance with China is all about 'mammon', as the Scripture calls it. It, (economic trade with our enemies), benefits big business, but threatens the survival of our nation. Notice, that the more our government has legislated God out of the public place the deeper into the abyss of globalism, (worldliness), we fall, and now may God help us.
And so the media will not pay much attention to this martyr today, but he, with our Lord, will be our inspiration tomorrow. God love him.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.