NEWS & VIEWS
from a CATHOLIC perspective

      BEIJING (CWNews.com) - The Communist Chinese government has detained a Catholic priest, a nun, and dozens of laity -- all members of the clandestine Catholic Church in China -- on August 15, according to the US-based Cardinal Kung Foundation.

      That arrests occurred on the Feast of the Assumption is especially egregious, said foundation director Joseph Kung. Father Wei Jingkun was detained while celebrating Mass near his home in Baoding and remains in police custody, while six members of the church were also either detained or fined. Sister Zhang Yanzhi was arrested and detained for 15 days for teaching catechism to children. Another woman, Xie Suqian, who allowed the catechism class to meet in her home, remains in detention, the foundation said in a statement.

      Police also briefly detained 100 Catholics who were enroute to a Mass, while 11 of them were held for 15 days and fined up to $120. Another priest escaped when police arrived in an orchard where 1,000 people had gathered for Mass.

      China requires Catholics to belong only to the state-controlled Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association which eschews connections to the Pope and the Universal Church as well as many Catholic doctrines. Several million Chinese Catholics belong to the underground Church which pledges loyalty to Rome and holds the faith in its entirety.