"Underground" priests still missing after months [CN-USA]

[Catholic_Press]

The whereabouts of three “underground” priests in northern China, detained by police months ago, are still unknown while another has apparently been persuaded to join the “open” Church, say sources.

Fathers Liu Jianzhong, Zhang Cunhui and Zhong Mingchang of Xuanhua diocese were taken away by plainclothes police on June 8, June 14 and Sept. 16 respectively, UCA News reports.

Local Church sources said that when the priests’ family members went to government departments to enquire about them, the authorities denied detaining them and refused family requests to help locate them.

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[Aramis]

It’s hard to be Catholic under persecution. Harder still to be a Catholic Priest under persecution.

They need our prayers.

 

[JimG]

It’s hard to be Catholic in China or in Vietnam, where communist governments officially try to suppress the Church.

In China, a priest must register with the government to obtain his “priest card,” and must be a member of the government regulated “National Catholic Patriotic Association,” giving no allegiance to the Holy Father.

Let’s hope the idea doesn’t catch on in the United States.

 

[Aramis]

Let’s hope the idea doesn’t catch on in the United States.

There have been threats to remove the Church’s tax exempt status over the brouhaha of the last election.

The Church has let many politicians slide, and it’s looking like that’s going to change. When it does, expect the US Gov’t to treat it as a profit-making business instead of a religious one. Which, considering the value of the properties, is quite likely going to result in an underground church.