Chinese Priest and Seminarian Arrested

07 September 2005

The Vatican and the China flag Father Pang Yongxing and a recent seminary graduate, Ma Yongjiang, were arrested by security forces in Qing Yuan county, about 100 kilometres south of Beijing, on the afternoon of September 2, according to the Cardinal Kung Foundation. In 2001, Father Pang had been sentenced to three years in a labour camp. He was released a year ago. Pang and Ma have been serving about 800 members of the underground Catholic Church in Qing Yuan county.

Pray for Pang, Ma and many other Christian leaders presently imprisoned for their faith in China. Pray for physical and emotional strength as they frequently face physical and psychological torture.

For more information on the suffering of China's Christians, click here.

China

Current Ministry Projects
The Voice of the Martyrs Canada continues to help distribute Bibles to Christians in the country, making it possible for them to have their own printed version of God's Word. Additionally, VOMC works with various mission partners to facilitate a Biblical understanding of persecution and discipleship, while presenting ways to effectively respond and minister within the context of hostility.

Project Funds: Underground Church, Bible, Relief & Development
Country Information
Population
1,413,142,846 (2023 est.)

Ethnicity (%)
Han Chinese (91.1), ethnic minorities (8.9 - includes Zhang, Hui, Manchu, Uighur, Miao, Yi, Tujia, Tibetan, Mongol, Dong, Buyei, Yao, Bai, Korean, Hani, Li, Kazakh, Dai, and other nationalities) (2021 est.)

Religion (%)
Folk religion (21.9), Buddhist (18.2), Christian (5.1), Muslim (1.8), Hindu (< 0.1), Jewish (< 0.1), other (0.7 - includes Daoist [Taoist]), unaffiliated (52.1) (2021 est.)

Leader
President Xi Jinping (2013)

Government type
Communist party-led state

Legal system
Based on civil law system; influenced by Soviet and continental European civil law systems

Sources: CIA World Factbook
Pray for China
Pray that the Gospel will be proclaimed throughout China without government interference so many more names can be added to the Lamb's "Book of Life." May there also be a spirit of unity demonstrated among the country's growing churches, further strengthening existing believers and spurring them on in their ministry service and evangelistic outreach within the country's numerous communities.