Four Priests Arrested

01 August 2007

Three Catholic priests who had been in hiding in Inner Mongolia were located by Chinese security police on July 24 and arrested for refusing to join the government-approved Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, according to the Cardinal Kung Foundation. The three, Liang Aijun (35), Wang Zhong (41) and Gao Jinbao (34) were initially locked in an iron cage and were not allowed to speak or given water. They have since been transferred to an undisclosed location.

Earlier in July, another priest, Cui Tai (50) was also arrested after he was involved in a minor traffic accident in Hebei. He is being held in the Zhuolu County detention centre. Cui has also refused to join the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association.

Pray that those in custody will recognize the presence of Christ with them. Pray that they will stand firm in their resolve in the face of pressure to compromise their convictions.

For more information on persecution in China, visit China's Country Report.

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.