Rome, Italy, Jul 4, 2005 / 22:00 pm
Bishop Julio Jia Zhiguo, 70, member of the China's underground Catholic church, has been arrested for the sixth time in 18 months, as the government continues harassing unofficial congregations, the Cardinal Kung Foundation denounced today.
Government officials picked up Bishop Jia Zhiguo, from the diocese of Zhengding in northern Hebei province, from his home and drove him to an unknown location early Monday.
"Government officials telephoned Bishop Jia in advance, notifying him that he was being picked up and ordered him he was to tell the people that he was being taken away by the government officials to visit a physician; Bishop Jia is not sick at present and there is no need for him to visit a physician," declared the Foundation in a statement.
Bishop Jia, who was consecrated as bishop in 1980, previously spent 20 years in jail. Since January 2004 the Prelate has been arrested six times, last one in September when two security officers forced him to take a three-day tour to a different town.