Persecution of 10 Catholic bishops in China intensified after Vatican-China deal, report says

Vatican City, Oct 21, 2024 / 16:30 pm

A new report sheds light on the repression faced by 10 Catholic bishops in China who have resisted the Chinese Communist Party’s attempt to exert control over religious matters since the 2018 China-Vatican agreement on the appointment of bishops. 

The report, authored by Nina Shea for the Hudson Institute, documents the harrowing experiences of Vatican-approved bishops who have suffered detention without due process, surveillance, police investigations, and banishments from their dioceses for refusal to submit to the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association (CPCA), a state-managed group controlled by the CCP’s United Front Work Department. 

“This report shows that religious repression of the Catholic Church in China has intensified since the 2018 China-Vatican agreement on the appointment of bishops,” Shea said.

“Beijing targeted these 10 bishops after they opposed the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, which requires its members to pledge independence from the Holy See,” she added.

The Hudson Institute published the report days before the expected Vatican announcement of whether the Holy See will renew its provisional agreement with Beijing on the appointment of bishops. 

The provisional agreement was first signed in 2018 and then renewed in 2020 and 2022. The most recent two-year renewal signed in 2022 expires this week on Oct. 22. 

News that a new coadjutor bishop of Beijing is expected to be installed on Oct. 25 in agreement with the Holy See suggests that the Sino-Vatican agreement is likely to be renewed.

The report also outlines steps that U.S. policymakers can take to advocate for the release of detained Catholic bishops in China.

Here is a look at the 10 Chinese Catholic bishops featured in the report: 

Bishop Vincent Guo Xijin

Bishop Vincent Guo Xijin, 66, of the Mindong Diocese in Fujian province has faced multiple detentions over 30 years, including one in 2019, during which he was placed under surveillance of two guards and subjected to coercive “tactics of persuasion.” After the signing of the Sino-Vatican agreement in 2018, he was asked to step down as the principal bishop of Mindong to allow the government-appointed Bishop Zhan Silu to take his place. Although Guo agreed to serve as an auxiliary bishop, he continued to face relentless pressure to register with the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, including by cutting off electricity and water to his residence and then evicting him in January 2020. He resigned in October 2020 at the age of 62.

Bishop Augustine Cui Tai

Bishop Augustine Cui Tai, 74, of the Xuanhua Diocese in the province of Hebei has been subjected to repeated detention, house arrest, and forced labor over the past 31 years. He has been detained four times since the 2018 China-Vatican agreement and has not been seen since he was taken into police custody in April 2021. His diocese has repeatedly called for his release from detention but to no avail.

Bishop Julius Jia Zhiguo

Bishop Julius Jia Zhiguo, 90, of the Zhengding Diocese in Hebei has a long history of persecution, having been detained multiple times since 1963. His most recent detention began in August 2020 as the China-Vatican agreement was on the verge of renewal for the first time. His “crime” was having allowed in his church the singing of hymns without government permission, according to the report. Jia remains in detention since his 2020 arrest and the Chinese government has acknowledged that he suffers from illness largely developed from his times in detention. Police also dismantled the bishop’s orphanage for disabled children that he operated with the help of Catholic nuns for over 30 years.

Bishop Thaddeus Ma Daqin

After publicly declaring his refusal to cooperate with the CPCA at his episcopal ordination in 2012, Bishop Thaddeus Ma Daqin, 56, of the Diocese of Shanghai was detained and isolated at a seminary and has remained under house arrest ever since under constant surveillance, restrictions, and detention. The China-Vatican agreement did not improve his situation.

Bishop Peter Shao Zhumin

Bishop Peter Shao Zhumin, 61, of the Wenzhou Diocese in Zhejiang has been arrested at least six times since the 2018 agreement. His most recent detention occurred in January without due process, and he remains imprisoned today. Authorities have repeatedly pressured him to join the CPCA, but he has consistently refused.

Bishop Melchior Shi Hongzhen

At 95 years old, Bishop Melchior Shi Hongzhen, 95, of the Tianjin Diocese has been under house arrest for over 15 years. He is confined to his parish church compound and occasionally allowed out to perform religious duties. In 2024, the Vatican reported that China officially recognized him as a bishop, though his age and ongoing restrictions now make it difficult for him to fulfill his ministry.

Bishop James Su Zhimin

Bishop James Su Zhimin, 92, of the Diocese of Baoding in Hebei has been in continuous secret detention for over 27 years, having been arrested in 1997 while leading a religious procession to a Marian shrine. His location remains undisclosed, and he is one of the longest-detained Catholic leaders in China. The bishop’s nephew told UCA News in 2020 “it is feared that Bishop Su is no longer alive.”

Bishop Joseph Xing Wenzhi

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Bishop Joseph Xing Wenzhi, 61, of the Shanghai Diocese disappeared under mysterious circumstances in 2011. The CCP claimed he had resigned from his post, but no further information has been provided. The Vatican has expressed hope for a resolution to his case, but his fate remains unclear.

Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun

A vocal critic of the CCP, Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, 92, of Hong Kong has faced ongoing pressure since China’s imposition of the national security law in Hong Kong. He was arrested in 2022 on charges of “colluding with foreign forces” and was released on bail hours later. Zen was convicted for failing to register a fund that helped pay for the legal fees and medical treatments of Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters and forced to pay a fine.

Bishop Joseph Zhang Weizhu

Bishop Joseph Zhang Weizhu, 66, of the Xinxiang Diocese in Henan was long prevented from entering his diocese and then was arrested in May 2021, while recovering from a cancer surgery, and continues to be held without trial. Authorities also raided and shut down his seminary, labeling it illegal. In March 2023, Asia News confirmed that the bishop remained detained by the local police.