The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is systematically removing crosses and replacing statues of Christ with party cadres, as China's Xi Jinping says he will “completely control” the country's repressive Catholic Church and other religious groups. It is said to be the latest example of the Prime Minister's efforts. to the report.
of studyA paper published by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) accuses China of the “Sinicization of religion.” Sinicization is a term used to describe the process of adapting something to Chinese culture. In this pursuit, China is violating the ability of established religions to exercise their internationally protected rights to religious freedom, the report says.
According to Catholic News Agency, “Chinese authorities have ordered Crosses were removed from churches and statues of Christ and the Virgin Mary were replaced with statues of President Xi Jinping. It also censored religious texts, forced clergy to preach CCP ideology, and required the posting of CCP slogans inside churches.
“In order to subordinate religion to the party, the government forces religious groups to register with various “patriotic religious associations'' and their local branches. For the Catholic Church, this means registering with the Catholic Bishops' Conference of China, which is under the formal control of China's State Religious Administration and the Communist Party of China's United Front Work Department. ”
Those who dare to practice their faith according to the traditions and commands of the church rather than the orders of the Chinese Communist Party fall under the state's anti-cult laws, and the government brutally persecutes rebellious members of the church, such as underground Catholics. Can be imprisoned.
In fact, Catholic underground believers have become one of the Chinese Communist Party's main targets because they refuse to accept the government's authority to enforce their faith, Catholic News Agency (CNA) reports. There is.
USCIRF Director General Asif Mahmoud told CNA: “While some Catholics choose to worship legally within the state-controlled Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, the Chinese Communist Party's strict control and interference system remains in place. “You are never free because you have to obey.”
“Ultimately, the Chinese government is not interested in protecting Catholics' right to religious freedom, but only in instilling unwavering obedience and dedication to the Chinese Communist Party, its political agenda, and its vision of religion. is.”
The report's shocking details shed new light on the highly controversial and scrutinized agreement Pope Francis signed with the Chinese government in 2018. In that agreement, the pope agreed to cooperate with Chinese Communist Party officials in the selection of Chinese bishops. Even more troubling for Francis, the USCIRF documents reveal that China routinely elects bishops without consulting Rome.
Not only did the Chinese Communist Party arbitrarily choose its favorite “bishops” without consulting the Vatican, it also disappeared bishops it did not like, some of whom have remained missing for years.
Nina Shea, director of the Hudson Institute's Center for Religious Freedom, said: “Catholic bishops are a particular target because of their important role within the hierarchy of securing communion with the successors of St. Peter. This is because they are in charge.” “Those who resist [government intrusion] He has been detained indefinitely without due process, expelled from the diocese, placed under indefinite police investigation, disappeared, and prevented from carrying out his episcopal duties. ”
Xia also said the Vatican's agreement with China “does not provide any accommodations for bishops who resist joining the association on grounds of conscience, nor does it address religious persecution.”
Religious persecution in China extends to other religions, including, but not limited to, Uyghur Muslims who are used as slave labor.
