: L. ~* ]+ k" p3 \中国和梵蒂冈在主教任命等问题上存在分歧，双方至今未建立外交关系。$ _/ x2 ~9 B' o
& Q- o; h" S7 }+ N5 d* JChina detains three underground priests, group says + k! F- [% h/ a* u7 o7 C7 ?. N6 QSun Jul 29, 2007 3 b& R; [9 y% K) x, S3 y+ l 2 C: l0 q. ~( b3 X, Y: v! ^- YBEIJING (Reuters) - China detained three "underground" Catholic priests unwilling to serve a state-controlled body, a U.S. group has reported, as Beijing and the Vatican press their claims on religious controls.& S+ \$ [$ }4 T/ R3 h8 H; l
+ D2 b% e: M' C1 s& F2 dThe three men were caught by police in north China's Inner Mongolia region, having fled there from neighboring Hebei province, the Cardinal Kung Foundation said in a statement emailed late on Saturday.7 ~* o1 _, r/ J. X
; |0 A3 c9 A K( u6 P/ _The detentions came as the Vatican and Beijing test their boundaries of authority following a letter on China's Catholics from Pope Benedict.) w1 h5 `9 [, K% ^* i4 s
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China's 12 million Catholics share the same basic religious beliefs but are politically divided between "above-ground" churches approved by the ruling Communist Party and "underground" churches that reject government ties.$ F4 G3 i& n; _2 n: J
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On June 30, Pope Benedict issued a letter that urged reconciliation between the two sides. But he said the church must have the power to run its own affairs, including appointing bishops, possibly with government consultation.5 e( J$ D8 ]5 b% z
# S$ ~! K S; rThe Chinese government has often rejected such claims as interference in "domestic affairs" but has given no detailed public response to the letter.% T. E. A6 R9 {. o' p8 m
: S# F' B: u" J9 A! g. N8 UParts of Hebei, the priests' home province, are a stronghold of "underground" churches. 1 W8 F- ]( O H" A0 i% \" @) b1 C# D. M
The Cardinal Kung Foundation said the three had refused to join the Catholic Patriotic Association, the state-controlled body that seeks to control church affairs. & g" G* ^' Q! q 6 G3 m7 S/ [. s/ ~2 l' WPlain clothes police detained the priests -- Liang Aijun, Wang Zhong and Gao Jinbao -- on July 24 and they have been transferred to an unknown location, the Foundation said. 5 e, R5 l. a" m, V# A ( P+ c8 D, ?. y9 v6 a9 z"They'd been hiding for quite a while when they were hunted down," the head of the Foundation, Joseph Kung, told Reuters by phone. ' n4 ~4 U6 \6 W9 g+ t6 R1 h8 x& W " }0 `% g2 A; V0 U1 i, [3 |3 V3 xKung said he did not know if the men have been charged. Another underground priest, Cui Tai, had been detained in Hebei following a minor motorbike accident, he said.4 k6 S# b+ J4 @4 ?4 F, R
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Sometimes "underground" clergy are released after days or weeks; sometimes they are held for much longer. # Q6 s9 Y! A3 @ ) b* Z ]* x* R# F4 MThe Vatican is waiting to see how China handles the appointment of a new bishop for Beijing, the country's most prominent diocese. " L6 L3 J- V5 }6 |6 I7 {# u& M' I& i3 O7 j7 t
Rome has said a nominee proposed by the state-registered diocese, Father Li Shan, could be acceptable and has urged him to seek papal approval. ) e! u* P; I' L! G4 @ t. i$ y1 K. \/ s0 S. n3 O
But an editorial in a Beijing newspaper on Friday said China rejects the Vatican's demand that it stop appointing bishops without papal approval. / O3 t3 o9 q0 W; D/ d" m) X; u3 q2 P+ L% G
These days, most state-approved bishops have also won Vatican blessing. The Vatican has not had diplomatic ties with Beijing since 1951 and instead recognizes Taiwan, the self-ruled island that China regards as an illegitimate breakaway.
