On November 23, sixteen nuns were injured as they protested plans to destroy a school building in Xian, China. The building had been confiscated by the Chinese government during Mao's "Cultural Revolution," but should have been returned to the Catholic Church after policies changed in 1979. According to a December 14 report from the Catholic news agency, Zenit, officials have responded to public pressure. Eleven people have been arrested for their part in the attack and the government has agreed to pay all medical expenses for those injured. For more information, including photos from the attack, click here.
On December 16, a similar attack took place in the sea-side city of Tianjin. Forty-eight priests and two nuns staged a protest against the confiscation of several buildings which should have been returned to the Church, but which were turned over to a land developer instead. Around 2:15 p.m., a group described by local sources as "thugs" arrived and began to beat the demonstrators with iron bars, bricks and clubs. When security forces arrived, the attackers fled and the demonstrators were taken to the police station for questioning. A few hours later, those injured were allowed to go to the hospital. At last report, six priests were recovering from various injuries and one nun, Song Zhiying, remained in hospital with head injuries.
Praise God for His intervention on behalf of those who were attacked in Xian. Pray that those responsible will be convicted. Pray that the attackers in Tianjin will also be arrested. Pray for a full recovery for those injured.
For more information on the persecution of Christians in China, click here. Various videos on China are available for free viewing on www.vomcanada.com. VOMC also has a number of resources on China available for sale through our online catalogue.
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