Beijing, China, Dec 7, 2010 / 13:10 pm
Two of the Chinese government's “Catholic associations” are meeting from Dec. 7-9, with many bishops loyal to the Vatican reportedly being coerced into attending the gatherings.
With the exception of two articles in Beijing's official Catholic newsletter, almost no information has come out about the assemblies themselves, including in the Chinese media. However, several Chinese Catholic sources have reported bishops being kidnapped or arrested, in order to compel their participation.
The Catholic Patriotic Association and the so-called “Bishops' Conference of the Catholic Church in China” are both seeking to fill a leadership position that has been vacant for several years. A government-appointed bishop, Michael Fu Tieshan, headed both agencies –and occupied a leadership position in the Communist country's national legislature– until his death in 2007.
Ahead of the meeting, around 100 police officers and other government officials in Hebei province converged on the residence of Bishop Feng Xinmao, whom a group of nuns and lay faithful had previously managed to rescue from forced isolation. After a dramatic siege that lasted several hours, authorities recaptured the bishop to take him to the meetings in Beijing.