Beijing, China, Nov 4, 2019 / 20:00 pm
Chinese authorities have offered a compensation to a Catholic community for the destruction of their church. The offer comes after parishioners barricaded themselves in the Church building overnight in protest of the demolition.
In an apparent concession to the protestors, government officials have agreed to provide a piece of land for the church to be rebuilt, as well as money to compensate for the destruction of the original building.
Catholics in Wu Gao Zhang, part of Hebei's Guantao district, held an overnight vigil in their parish Oct. 31, after local authorities said the church would be destroyed because of an alleged lack of proper building permits. Local Catholics insist that the church was fully approved by the Chinese government, despite the dispute.
The parishioners were joined by priests from the Diocese of Handan. Several of the priests proceeded to help with negotiations between the Catholic community and government officials throughout the night.