CV NEWS FEED // Bitter Winter, an online publication on human rights and religious freedom, has sounded the alarm over increased pressure exerted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on the Catholic Church in China.
The publication stated in a July 30 report that it is “paying attention” to a relatively new “Strict Governance of Religion” movement being promoted by the United Front Work Department, an intelligence agency established by the CCP.
The central objective of the United Front-sponsored initiative is to compel the state’s approved religions to more explicitly advance socialist values as a central topic during meetings and sermons, according to Bitter Winter.
In a July 10 “Meeting to Promote the Comprehensive and Strict Governance of the Catholic Church,” at a local Huangjiang Catholic parish, Tao Maoyong, a speaker representing the United Front, delivered a presentation on the “Strict Governance” initiative.
Maoyong stated that “Strict Governance” should be exerted over the Church in six areas: “political guidance, group system construction, clergy management, activity venue management, recruitment, and Internet religious information services.”
Furthermore, Maoyong emphatically declared that Catholic clergy and lay leaders “should make sure that the ‘socialist core values’ are at the center of the Church’s message and place themselves under the supervision of the United Front.”
While the meeting took place in a small, prefecture-level city, the publication continued, the occurrence of the meeting remains significant: “Indeed, ‘Bitter Winter’ keeps receiving reports that the United Front Work Department is organizing events all over the country.”
The United Front first began promoting the “Strict Governance of Religion” agenda among the country’s Protestants in a June 27-28 meeting, titled “China Christian Implementation of Strict Governance of Religion Exchange Meeting.” The online publication noted that there are signs the United Front plans to also advance the policy among Tibetan Buddhists and Hui Muslims.
Diplomatic ties between China and the Vatican have been historically tense, especially concerning issues such as internal Church governance and clergy appointments. However, relations earlier this year appeared to be on the mend.
