CHINA A priest and a layman ‘disappeared’ in the diocese of Baoding

Sources of They report the disappearance of two members of the clandestine Catholic community of Hebei, about whom nothing has been heard for days. It is suspected that local authorities are subjecting them to restrictive measures, as has already happened in other cases. In that same diocese, where a hundred years ago the Shanghai Council built the Marian shrine of Donglu, the pressure is still very strong on the communities that refuse to register with the “official” organizations of the Church in China.

Baoding () – New news about missing people, probably victims of restrictive measures by local authorities, comes from the diocese of Baoding, in Hebei province, where one of the largest clandestine Catholic communities in China lives. Sources of They reported two cases that occurred in recent weeks.

Since April 17, there has been no news of Father Chi Huitian, a priest from Zhao County who disappeared from his home. “Born into a family of devout Catholics – say some faithful from the diocese of Baoding – he was a zealous servant of the Lord from a young age. When he was ordained a priest he dedicated himself to serving the parish. “We ask our brothers and sisters to pray for him and ask the Lord to fill him with the Holy Spirit to guide and protect him.”

A few days later, on April 29 in Zhangjiakou, in the same province of Hebei, a layman from the community, Prof. Chen Hekun, also disappeared. “His family and his friends are looking for him – sources continue to say. -. We hope anyone who knows where she is can help us. At the same time we ask you to pray for him, so that the Lord may sustain him.”

The underground Catholic community of Baoding is one of the most affected in China by the repression of religious freedom. In the past there have been cases of priests subjected to guanzhi, a form of restriction of movement and activities that can last up to three years, during which they are subjected to political sessions and pressure to join the “official” bodies of the Church in China controlled by the Party. Even Bishop Jacob Su Zhimin was arrested in 1997 in connection with pilgrimages to Donglu, a place linked to an alleged Marian apparition during the Boxer Revolt in 1900 and where a shrine dedicated to Our Lady of China was built precisely by the will of the Shanghai Council, the historic meeting of bishops in 1924 that is celebrating its centenary these days. Bishop Su Zhimin (who would be 92 years old today) reappeared only once in the Baoding hospital in 2003. Since then there has been no news about his whereabouts.

The “official” diocese today is led by Bishop Francisco An Shuxin, 77, who was a young auxiliary bishop of Baoding. He also spent ten years in detention since 1996, although he later decided to leave the clandestine community by registering with the authorities. This caused a rupture in the community, and the “clandestine” priests and faithful no longer recognize him as their bishop.

It should be added that the diocese of Baoding is also one where – as we reported in – local authorities adopted exceptional security measures on the occasion of last Christmas, imposing traffic blockades and bus route diversions to avoid the cathedral area, preventing children from entering the Christmas Vigil and prohibiting the display of objects related to the cathedral. Christmas in the university residences.