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BEIJING — Security agents detained an elderly bishop of an underground Catholic church in northern China hours before the closing of the Olympic Games, a U.S.-based group said Monday. Bishop Julius Jia Zhiguo, 73, of Zhengding, a city in northern Hebei province, was taken by six government officials from his cathedral on Sunday morning, the Cardinal Kung Foundation said in a statement. The independent foundation, which aims to promote the Roman Catholic Church in China, said it did not know where or why Jia was being detained. A woman who answered the phone at the city's public security bureau said...

Beijing, Aug. 25, 2008 (CWNews.com) - China's most prominent "underground" Catholic bishop was arrested on Sunday, August 24: the day that also saw the closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games in Beijing. Bishop Julius Jia Zhiguo of Zhengding was taken into custody by several police officers at Wuqiu cathedral. No immediate reason was given for his arrest, and authorities have not disclosed where the aging bishop is being held. The 73-year-old Bishop Jia, who heads an active diocese of over 100,000 Catholics in the Hebei diocese, spent 15 years in prison, from 1963 to 1978. Since his release he has...

Beijing, Aug 11, 2008 / 11:48 am (CNA).- Sunday morning in Beijing, President Bush attended the Beijing Kuanjie Protestant Christian Church.  After the government-established church service, the U.S. president gently encouraged the Chinese government to consider granting religious freedom to its citizens, telling them not to fear Christianity.The president expressed that he and his wife experienced “great joy and privilege of worshiping here in Beijing, China.”  Bush explained that the service showed “that God is universal, and God is love, and no state, man or woman should fear the influence of loving religion.” He also thanked the pastor and the...

Despite severe persecution, Christians in China are flourishing and churches are growing. Chinese Christians suffer unimaginable brutality and suffering because of their faith. VIDEO

Pope Benedict Tells China: Open Up To Christianity By DANIELA PETROFF Associated Press Writer OIES, Italy -- Pope Benedict XVI urged China Tuesday to open up to Christianity as he visited the birthplace of a 19th century saint who died as a missionary there 100 years ago. China's officially atheistic Communist Party forced Chinese Catholics to cut ties with the Vatican in 1951, and the two sides have not restored formal relations. Many of the country's estimated 12 million Catholics worship in congregations outside the state-approved church and often are arrested or harassed. "It is important for this great country...

American Christian activist detained in China. Coming up on Laura's show. Listen online on KRLA IN LOS ANGELES

THE NEON SIGNS at Sauna City, a nightclub-and-massage complex in northern Beijing, offered little promise of spiritual comfort. But the rent was good and the landlord sympathetic, so Jin and his partners signed a lease in May 2007 on their improbable new home, a fifth-floor office large enough for 150 chairs, a choir and a band. Then Jin took a step once inconceivable for a non-sanctioned church in China: He printed business cards. In proclaiming his name and number and the location of the newly christened Zion Church, he spurned the label of "underground" church. He describes his group as...

A new plant can turn out 12 million copies a year. Some are for export, but most are for domestic sale. The factory looks like it could be any plant in this export-driven nation. Hundreds of Chinese workers huddle over loud machines churning out large orders for customers at home and abroad. But what they're making might surprise you: Bibles. As Tibetan monks grab headlines protesting the lack of religious freedom under Chinese rule, a booming Bible industry is on its way to turning the world's biggest atheist nation into the world's largest producer of the Good Book. Chairman Mao...

Religious Boom in China after Quake JUNE 10, 2008 08:31 As religious gatherings for the victims of the Sichuan earthquake are being held in large scales, the Chinese Communist Party is worrying about a possible explosive increase in religious population. The party is tolerating such religious events in consideration of public sentiment for now, but is known to be jittery about the possibility of uncontrollable trouble. â–½ Worships and Buddhist service for earthquake victims The Buddhist Association of China held a large-scale service for those who were killed or displaced by the earthquake on May 14, two days after the...

Oct. 12: This file photo shows couple during a wedding photo shoot at a deserted Catholic seminary in Pengzhou in southwest China's Sichuan province. Five couples were having wedding photos taken when a massive earthquake struck on May 12, destroying the seminary. May 12: Bricks fall from a deserted Catholic seminary as an earthquake strikes during a wedding photo shoot in Pengzhou in southwest China's Sichuan province. Five couples were having wedding photos taken when the earthquake struck, and all escaped without injury. The century-old seminary was destroyed in the quake, which left tens of thousands dead in Sichuan. May...

Hong Kong (AsiaNews) – The World Day of Prayer for the Church in China which we celebrate tomorrow is a great day. We entrust the destiny of China and its Church in the hands of Our Lady on this day for She likes us and is very powerful. Since the situation in China is not as optimistic as some might believe, Our Lady is our only hope to tear down walls and touch hearts. Here in Hong Kong we prepared ourselves for the Pope’s Day of Prayer with a novena in every parish church dedicated to Mary. There are about...

The Chinese owner of a bookstore near the 2008 Olympics complex in Beijing has been re-arrested and detained, only about a dozen weeks after he was cleared of allegations of illegally publishing Bibles and Christian literature due to "insufficient evidence," according to a new report from Compass Direct. As WND reported earlier, Shi Weihan was released in January after being taken into custody shortly after Thanksgiving 2007 during police raids on his home and office. China Aid Association then reported the fact he was released, along with several others, although the government offered no explanation for his case. An American...

The Vatican yesterday was accused of currying favor with China by "censoring" the Easter reflections for tonight's solemn Good Friday service at the Colosseum that Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun of Hong Kong wrote at the request of Pope Benedict XVI. But many commentators insist the choice of the outspoken Shanghai-born bishop for the task reflects the full support he enjoys from the pontiff. The pope asked Cardinal Zen, 76, to write the reflections, or special prayers, for the Way of the Cross ceremony, which will be beamed on live satellite television to millions of Christians around the world. The prayers...

The new Orthodox metropolitan of Hong Kong and Southeast Asia says his priorities include dealing with the Chinese government to bring about the recognition of Orthodox Christians in mainland China - writes Francis Wong. "There are many Orthodox in the port cities in South China. Greeks are working on the ships and they want a place of worship," Metropolitan Nektarios told Ecumenical News International on 29 February, the day before his enthronement. "The pastoral activities are first for the [Orthodox] Greeks, then for the Chinese. There are only a few Orthodox Chinese there." At present, the Chinese government recognises only...

(BEIJING) — There was Hu Jintao, head of the Chinese Communist Party, warmly shaking hands at a party-sponsored New Year's tea party with one of the country's main Christian leaders. To make sure the message got through to China's 68 million party faithful, a large photograph of the moment was splashed across the front page of the official party newspaper, People's Daily. Hu's display of holiday courtesy to Liu Bainian, general secretary of the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, was one in a series of recent signals that China's rulers, despite the party's official atheism, are seeking to get along better...

Dozens of Christians have been questioned, arrested, jailed or beaten in a series of attacks on house church Christmas programs as China tries to wipe out "subversive" or "reactionary" forces before the 2008 Olympics, according to China Aid Association. The organization has released a list of the most recent assaults on Christians, including the detention in Henan province of Pastor Liang Qi Zhen, vice president of the Chinese House Church Alliance. "After disbursing Liang's congregation, police officials took him by force and transported him to an undisclosed location where he was tortured for several hours. Liang's ears and right hand...

n China it is known as the “sacred doctrine” and it has become one of the country’s bestselling books. Yet it has nothing to do with the thoughts of Chairman Mao and its teachings have been in conflict with the forces of Communism for generations. Demand for the Bible is soaring in China, at a time when meteoric economic growth is testing the country’s allegiance to Communist doctrine. Today the 50 millionth Bible will roll off the presses of China’s only authorised publisher, Amity Printing, amid public fanfare and celebration.

Beijing's Southern Cathedral has the kind of congregation many Catholic churches in Europe can only dream of attracting. At Sunday morning Mass, the church is overflowing with worshippers. Those that cannot squeeze in sit on benches outside. There are no official ties between China and the Vatican, despite attempts by both sides over recent months to overcome their differences. But that does not seem to matter to the faithful at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, to give the Beijing church its full name. The solid-looking brick cathedral, founded in 1605 by Jesuit Matteo Ricci,...

We often hear Christians talking about certain theological ideas and ministry models as “Western.” The implication is that, these ideas and models came from the West, and the church in Asia must take a critical look to see if they are suitable for use in ministry in Asia. What exactly does the word “Western” mean? And what did the Chinese church import from the West? WHAT IS “WESTERN”? The Gospel of Jesus Christ spread in several directions in the first and second centuries. The Christian faith went to India, according to tradition, by the Apostle Thomas. Christians also took their...

The survey found a large rise in Christians in China The number of religious believers in China could be three times higher than official estimates, according to a survey reported by state media.A poll of 4,500 people by Shanghai university professors found 31.4% of people above the age of 16 considered themselves as religious. This suggests 300 million people nationwide could be religious, compared to the official figure of 100 million. China is regularly criticised for cracking down on unauthorised worship. Believers are only allowed to attend government-approved churches, mosques and temples. Correspondents say the poll's findings back up...

Monday, July 31, 2006 Hundreds of Chinese Christians Wounded and Arrested As Large House Church Destroyed in Zhejiang Province By Michael Ireland Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service MIDLAND, TEXAS / ZHEJIANG PROVINCE, CHINA (ANS) -- A large house church building was destroyed and many Christians were arrested and wounded during a confrontation on the afternoon of July 29 in the Chinese Provibce of Zhejiang. The house church building is located at Che Lu Wan Village, Dangshan Town, Xiaoshan District, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province. According to eyewitness reports provided to China Aid Association (CAA), the destruction of the church building started...

CHINA -- The government here tells Westerners to stay away from the illegal "house churches" spreading like wildfire throughout this officially atheistic country. But through contacts I was able to visit two churches made up of urban professionals this month, with the agreement that locations of meeting places remain unspecified and individual participants unnamed. A word of definition: All Chinese churches are supposed to register with the government and place themselves under its authority, so "house church" means a non-registered church and not necessarily one that meets in a home. Most do, but some in the countryside meet in caves...

On April 3rd, my wife and I came back from a 2-½ week trip to China. I wanted to share with you some of my experiences on this trip. We have all heard in the news about the lack of freedoms in China, and I wanted to put these many stories to the test. During my trip I had on almost every opportunity engaged in conversations with some successful business people, taxi drivers, people on the street and my in-laws on topics including religion (sharing with people openly about my faith), about freedom, democracy, and human rights in China, and...

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Vatican's top foreign affairs official said the church seeks no privileges in China, but only wants the freedom to organize its internal affairs. The comments by Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo came after a month of heightened church-state tensions in China over the ordination of bishops unapproved by Pope Benedict XVI. The archbishop said interference by Chinese authorities in the bishop selection process ends up exacerbating divisions among Chinese Catholics. He spoke in an interview with a Romanian newspaper, and the Vatican translated and distributed the text to journalists June 1. "As in all countries of the...

By NICOLE WINFIELD, Associated Press Writer Fri May 5, 9:33 AM ET VATICAN CITY - Vatican officials cited church law that called for automatic excommunication in condemning China for appointing bishops without papal consent, but legal experts said Friday that the appointees may be spared formal censure because they may have been pressured. The Vatican said Thursday that the consecration of two bishops this week in China carried with them the automatic penalty of excommunication for the two men as well as the bishops who ordained them because Pope Benedict XVI hadn't approved the appointments. While Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls...

he Vatican is excommunicating two bishops who were illegally ordained by China's breakaway Catholic Church. Pope Benedict XVI expressed his "deep displeasure" over the appointments. The rift comes as Beijing and the Vatican are engaged in talks with the aim of re-establishing relations, which were severed more than 50 years ago. Excommunication is automatic under Church law for bishops who are illegally ordained, says the BBC's David Willey in Rome. The Vatican also said it had received information that bishops had come under "strong pressure and threats" to take part in the ordinations. If that was proved, the excommunications could...

Vatican Excommunicates 4 Chinese BishopsBy ALESSANDRA RIZZO, Associated Press WriterVATICAN CITY - The Vatican on Thursday excommunicated two bishops ordained by China's state-controlled church without the pope's consent, escalating tensions as the two sides explore preliminary moves toward improving ties. The Vatican also excommunicated the two bishops who ordained them, saying church law mandates excommunication for bishops involved in ordinations without Vatican approval. Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls cited Article 1382 of the Roman Catholic Church's canon law. That article states that "both the bishop who, without a pontifical mandate, consecrates a person a bishop, and the one who receives the...

BEIJING (AP) – A leader in China's state-backed church defended government limits on religious freedom in China Tuesday, saying Christians are free to worship and spread their faith as long as they do so privately. "So we don't have religious activities in public places because we don't want to cause religious disharmony," Cao said at a news conference. Government controls on religion have attracted sharp criticism from Christians overseas and Chinese who refuse to submit to state authority. At issue, is what many feel is a duty for Christians: the right to propagate the faith. Unauthorized Protestant churches, often called...

Christianity always seems to grow where its followers are persecuted and paradoxically seems to die away where its followers have the absolute freedom to worship. The United States seems to be one of the few exceptions so far -- despite all the freedoms and distractions that we have, there are many who practice authentic Christianity. We need to pray that this will last.China is not as fortunate as we are. Early missionaries were not always so successful in gaining new believers. My sister-in-law's mother grew up in China as a missionary child and her family had to flee when the Communists...

Chinese authorities have arrested another Catholic priest of the "underground" Church in the Hebei province, and an underground bishop has disappeared, the Cardinal Kung Foundation has reported. Father Wang Wenzhi was arrested on December 11, and has been held in custody since that time, the Cardinal Kung Foundation says. Local officials are evidently trying to persuade the priest to accept the authority of the government-backed Catholic Patriotic Association. Father Wang is the senior priest in the Yongnian diocese; while in custody he has celebrated the 20th anniversary of his ordination. Meanwhile Bishop Han Dingxiang, the head of the Yongnian diocese,...

Beijing, Dec. 24 -- Santa Claus might have never expected that he could be so popular in China. Christmas trees and baubles are decorating homes, shops, restaurants and office buildings in major cities, while images of Santa and Rudolph are young urbanites' favourites. About 90 per cent of 2,000 Chinese recently surveyed said they would have special arrangements on Christmas Eve. For them, Christmas is the second most important holiday in China after the Spring Festival. Bars and karaoke halls are expected to be packed with customers on Saturday night as 43 per cent of respondents are planning to have...

TIANJIN, China, DEC. 19, 2005 (Zenit.org).- A group of priests and nuns were beaten with iron bars, bricks and clubs by a group of assailants in this seaside city, after protesting the expropriation of Church property. The priests and nuns were attacked Friday after having demonstrated against the seizure of several buildings belonging to their Archdiocese of Taiyuan, in Shanxi province, according to AsiaNews. The attack followed a similar incident in Xian several weeks ago, when 16 nuns were beaten for having stood in the way of the demolition of a diocesan school. In the Tianjin incident, one priest was...

It looks like a modest two or three-bedroom apartment from the outside. The casual observer would never guess it is the home of a growing house church in one of China’s major metropolitan areas. But on Sunday they come—all day. What started with four or five members has mushroomed to 100 attenders—mostly students from a nearby university—in a little more than a year’s time. “They share with friends and classmates, roommates or teachers,” explains Jet, the young leader of the congregation. “This is the common way.” Some are drawn to the church as they search for the meaning of life....

"Population Control" Eyewitness Steven W. Mosher is president of the pro-family Population Research Institute based in Front Royal, Virginia. For more than 20 years, Mr. Mosher’s has been a leading voice speaking out against the abuse of human rights in Communist China. He was interviewed by John F. McManus, publisher of THE NEW AMERICAN.Q. How did your relationship with China begin?A. As a doctoral candidate from Stanford University, I was the first American social scientist to go to China after President Carter normalized relations with that nation in 1979. I spent an entire year living in a village in South...

Nun wounded in Chinese government raid of Catholic Church (courtesy: China Aid Association) The communist Chinese government bulldozed a Catholic Church building in Xi'an city, wounding 16 nuns. The U.S.-based China Aid Association, citing "reliable sources," said about 30 uniformed young men rushed into the church with wooden sticks in their hands at about 6 p.m. Nov. 22. Two hours later, a bulldozer started tearing down the place of worship. China Aid said officials from the government's religious affairs bureau came to the site, and the destruction was halted until the next evening. Then, about 40 uniformed young men...

Rome (AsiaNews) – News of the 16 nuns assaulted in Xian while defending a school from demolition has not been reported in any Chinese newspaper. The very detailed reports that had appeared on Chinese Catholic web-sites over past days have disappeared. The www.chinacatholic.org site, which had posted an in-depth report on the occurrences, was blacked-out for many hours yesterday. The site is back on-line today, but news on the assault against the nuns is no longer available.AsiaNews was able to obtain a photo of one of the nuns beaten on the night of November 23 (see picture) by a...

Evangelist Luis Palau Regrets Remarks on Religious Freedom in China Patrick Goodenough, CNSNews An American evangelist has apologized for saying during a recent visit to China that the religious freedom situation there was better than expected, and for saying that "underground" Christians should register with church associations set up by the communist government. Luis Palau, an Oregon-based evangelist, paid a week-long visit to China earlier this month, his fifth to the country. His trip coincided with a visit by President Bush, and Palau was invited to attend a church service in Beijing with the president and First Lady. In an...

Five Roman Catholic nuns in China were severely beaten and hospitalized for resisting the sale of land claimed by their church in the city of Xian. The attack occurred Nov. 23 on the disputed parcel of land adjacent to the city's main state-sanctioned Catholic church, the Southern Cathedral, The Washington Post reported Friday. Xian is about 600 miles southwest of Beijing. Witnesses said thugs armed with sticks and clubs assaulted the nuns when they tried to stop the demolition of an elementary school on the land which the government wants to sell to a real estate developer, the Post reported....

The Vatican expressed alarm Wednesday over reports of arrests and beatings of Roman Catholic priests in China.The reports by a Vatican-affiliated news agency cause "pain," and if verified must be condemned, said the statement by Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls.AsiaNews said this week that Chinese police arrested six priests in Zhengding county, and beat two of them.The report, citing the Cardinal Kung Foundation, a U.S.-based religious monitoring group, said the arrests were carried out on Nov. 18. The four who were not beaten were taken to a police station in the nearby city of Gaocheng.Police in Zhengding and Gaocheng denied the...

New research shows that there are potentially 30,000,000 Christians in China ... Perhaps the seed for future democracy? ... Full story on this week's Nadd.com ...

... In the last decade or so, though, the Chinese government has started a full-out effort to become the world’s leading super-power. Unfortunately for them, though, they don’t have a free-enough social system to support a free market. As Donald Rumsfeld pointed out in a July 19, 2005, interview with radio talk-show host Rusty Humphries, "Now, they [China] have a political system that is not a free political system, so that to me is a contradiction to having a relatively free economic system" [DoD News Transcript]. The reason that the Communist Chinese government is beginning to allow more freedoms is...

“First of all, I would not call them ‘underground’ churches, but ‘unregistered.' ‘Underground’ has the connotation that you are hiding, and that is not how it is," he said. “Personally, I would encourage the unregistered churches to register and receive greater freedom and blessings from the government."

Bush Attends Church in China   By Scott StearnsBeijing20 November 2005 President Bush says China should grant its people greater religious freedoms. So, he opened his day in Beijing by going to church. George W. Bush, center, and First Ldy Laura Bush, right, after attending morning services at Gangwashi Church in Beijing A choir in white and red silk robes sang the hymn, "Ode to Joy" as the president and Mrs. Bush left Gangwashi Church. It is one of five authorized protestant churches in the capital, and remains under control of China's Communist Party.But White House officials say it...

BEIJING, China (AP) -- The White House on Saturday urged China to give wide media coverage to U.S. President George W. Bush's visit and said Bush would press Beijing about religious freedom, trade problems and the need for currency reforms. Bush arrived Saturday evening in the Chinese capital. He was due to attend a church service on Sunday with his wife, Laura, before meeting with President Hu Jintao and other Chinese leaders. U.S. officials have talked with their Chinese counterparts about coverage of Bush's visit by the entirely state-controlled Chinese media, said Mike Green, senior director for Asian affairs on...

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President George W. Bush would like to attend Christian religious services with Chinese worshipers during his upcoming trip to Beijing, a senior US administration official said. "The president will look for an opportunity to worship with Chinese citizens," the official said on condition of anonymity. Bush has vowed to push China on religious freedom during his third visit there since taking office. The US president leaves Washington on Monday on a week-long swing through Asia that will take him to Japan, South Korea, China, and Mongolia. He will be in China November 19-21. In a visit...

Blocked Internet Discussion of New Pope WASHINGTON, October 19, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Congressional-Executive Commission on China released its 2005 Annual Report last week, which detailed a myriad of deplorable human rights abuses routinely committed by the Chinese regime. The Commission, created by Congress in October 2000 with the legislative mandate to monitor human rights and the development of the rule of law in China, reports that "The Chinese government monitors and inspects registered seminaries, where it is forbidden to teach anything contrary to Party policy, including Catholic moral teaching on abortion, euthanasia, contraception, and divorce." Released on October 11,...

US report hits China on rights, religionTue Oct 11, 2005 8:50 PM ET By Paul Eckert, Asia CorrespondentWASHINGTON (Reuters) - China has tinkered with legal reform and engaged the international community on human rights, but failed to improve in either area over the past year, a U.S. panel said on Tuesday.The Congressional-Executive Commission on China criticized Beijing for repression of political and religious rights and freedom of expression, as well as for its treatment of Tibetans and other ethnic minorities who seek greater autonomy."Citizens who challenge state controls on religion, speech, or assembly continue to face severe government repression," the...

ADF client receives outpouring of support, board reverses earlier order calling for Mr. Li's deportation "This was a clear cut case of religious persecution, and ADF is pleased that the board reached this wise conclusion," said ADF Senior Legal Counsel David Cortman. HOUSTON- The Chinese Christian recently denied asylum by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit received a reprieve Thursday in a decision by the Board of Immigration Appeals. The board reversed an earlier ruling that would have led to his deportation back to communist China, where he faced certain imprisonment. On Oct. 6, a three-member panel...

How should American Christians pray for the church in China? So asked the reporter from the Baptist mission board, ending his interview with a leader of the Chinese house-church movement. His subject answered, "Stop praying for persecution in China to end." He added, "It is through persecution that the church has grown." The leader of the underground church then added something else: "We, in fact, are praying that the American church might taste the same persecution so revival would come to the American church like we have seen in China." James Draper, the president of the Southern Baptist bookstore chain...

For more than five years, Xiaodong Li and about half a dozen friends gathered weekly in their hometown of Ningbo, China, to study the Bible and sing hymns. Then one Sunday morning in April 1995, in the middle of one of the services inside Li's apartment, three cops stormed in, handcuffed Li, and escorted him to the local police station.