The Chinese Communist Party is tightening restrictions on Catholic life, with reports of Bibles disappearing from church shops in Shanghai and Beijing, pilgrimages being blocked and churches facing new restrictions.
A Catholic priest outside Beijing told worshippers that a
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The Chinese Communist Party is tightening restrictions on Catholic life, with reports of Bibles disappearing from church shops in Shanghai and Beijing, pilgrimages being blocked and churches facing new restrictions.
A Catholic priest outside Beijing told worshippers that a planned July pilgrimage had been canceled because new rules required government approval for organized travel to churches in other regions, permission that was described as extremely difficult to obtain.
St. Ignatius Cathedral has also stopped admitting tourists this year while citing renovations, although worshippers can still enter through another entrance.
Catholics have additionally reported restrictions on religious broadcasts and Shanghai funeral homes stopped permitting Catholic funeral rites in August.
Human Rights Watch reported earlier this year that Chinese Catholics face increased surveillance, ideological controls, travel restrictions, and pressure on churches.
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