Catholics in China’s Zhengding diocese were forced to hold some Masses before dawn on Aug. 15, the Feast of the Assumption of Mary, as official pressure on their “underground” priests grows, sources say. Catholic sources say local officials have pressured the “underground” priests in Zhengding and some other dioceses in Hebei province to join the Catholic Patriotic Association (CPA) with each given a so-called “priest card”, UCA News reports
Public security officers have taken away some priests “one-by-one” to “talk” with them, the sources say.
To avoid this, one “underground” priest of Zhengding said he had changed his Mass time to 3:30 a.m. on Aug. 15. “Unexpectedly, more Catholics participated as some from other villages attended,” he said.
The priest said the numbers at his Mass had grown as other priests were forced into hiding. “More persecution will only make our faithful more devout,” he stated.
Fr Hu Baoguo, vicar general of Zhengding, was reportedly released in early August after weeks of detention, during which he refused to sign an agreement to join the CPA.
He is said to be under strict surveillance and government officials often talk to him about “doing ideological work,” said sources.
Many of Zhengding’s 80 priests have gone into hiding in laypeople’s houses since June, with regular Masses and pastoral work affected. Nevertheless, priests continue to celebrate Mass secretly.
“We have returned to the ‘underground’ era of the late 1980s,” sources said. “Our priests are perplexed and don’t know what to do,” as the Holy See has not given any clear instruction on whether a mainland priest can register for a priest card, they said.
On accepting recognition by civil authorities, the 2007 letter from Pope Benedict to Chinese Catholics said the Holy See “leaves the decision to the individual bishop,” having consulted his priests, “to weigh up the concrete possibilities of choice and to evaluate the possible consequences within the diocesan community.”
In some places in China, local Catholics regard getting a “priest card” as the equivalent of joining the CPA.
Sources said “Chinese security officers have been holding meetings lately” as most Zhengding priests have refused the cards. Local Catholics said they fear officials may be stepping up action against unregistered priests.
Local priests have been left without guidance since Bishop Julius Jia Zhiguo of Zhengding, unaffiliated to the government-sanctioned Church community, was taken away on March 30 by security officers from his Christ the King Cathedral.
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