* v- [3 w3 J2 v3 s `6 o$ {China detains three underground priests, group says 6 T% ?2 H8 F5 i1 z' k2 q9 h0 uSun Jul 29, 2007 , T$ @. [& M$ t, L: M* Y0 H+ v) x! I# Z5 \0 _
BEIJING (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. 6 T# A# F1 ~( q: \9 O6 E7 U. T" P
The 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. % `& h2 [9 z$ f7 _" c* w7 t. |7 \( ?- l( q, l' s. C
The detentions came as the Vatican and Beijing test their boundaries of authority following a letter on China's Catholics from Pope Benedict. # Q" v6 _+ D+ e$ T3 R! } " ] \( K) |9 K; b" J* j8 r( p' hChina'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.0 k; f A6 z+ T' w% n
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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. , T& h+ ]$ ?* @8 I# C" R5 ]3 U 1 _6 y0 W7 Y- a# J$ l6 p' H( JThe Chinese government has often rejected such claims as interference in "domestic affairs" but has given no detailed public response to the letter." R1 b) E9 i' n2 n# F
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Parts of Hebei, the priests' home province, are a stronghold of "underground" churches.# p6 d O0 W1 J1 A. S
$ P4 g3 O, h% VThe Cardinal Kung Foundation said the three had refused to join the Catholic Patriotic Association, the state-controlled body that seeks to control church affairs. ]2 }+ Z. U! [4 l4 _1 `, k& ~6 J; I2 z& A3 e0 w5 ?* G- Y
Plain 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. $ z# C1 ?' O8 G& t : t7 B3 f: D9 s5 e3 z$ y: 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." S6 L4 G- a: f* P9 p
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Kung 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. : F% v7 j; a, e O6 g7 E V: ^/ |6 Z% N v, x* e, o' f
Sometimes "underground" clergy are released after days or weeks; sometimes they are held for much longer. : Y: b2 X( S* S! v6 {' K% d- U- v; o
The Vatican is waiting to see how China handles the appointment of a new bishop for Beijing, the country's most prominent diocese.6 P- v$ x; [& c+ r4 I, F7 c
- w: M8 n8 {' k6 z* kRome has said a nominee proposed by the state-registered diocese, Father Li Shan, could be acceptable and has urged him to seek papal approval.% N; v9 w2 S# d5 }/ ~
7 [2 a4 p& R# a+ \3 jBut an editorial in a Beijing newspaper on Friday said China rejects the Vatican's demand that it stop appointing bishops without papal approval. & t: `, f) |# ^3 j: T* ~4 |$ o" ^0 k; \- I# L) n- F5 x5 p! ?, N
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.
