09/18/2020 China (International Christian Concern) – Father Liu Maochun, an unregistered priest in Mingdong (Fujian Province), visited hospitalized sick patients on September 1st. During the visit, he was kidnapped by China’s Religious Affairs Bureau. His family did not hear from him until recently.
Father Liu is one of 20 priests in Mingdong who have refused to join the state-approved Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association. For this reason, they are viewed as national security threats. Arrests and trials are common; some priests are detained for months. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) views unregistered priests as ‘illegal’ and a ‘subversion of the state.’ Father Liu has experienced similar kidnappings on previous occasions.
Unfortunately, these types of pressures are expected to increase as the 2018 Vatican-China deal expires at the end of the month.
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