Sunday, April 3, 2005

DECLARATION ON DETENTION OF CATHOLIC CLERGY IN CHINA


VATICAN CITY, APR 3, 2005 (VIS) - The following statement was released yesterday by Joaquin Navarro-Valls, Holy See Press Office  Director, on the arrest and detention of Catholic clergy in China:

  "News is arriving that on Wednesday March 30, 2005, Fr. Thomas Zhao Kexiun of the diocese of Xuanhua in the province of Hebei, China, was detained by the police as he returned from a funeral. His whereabouts are not known, nor is the reason for his detention.

  "The bishop of the same diocese, the 85-year-old Philip Peter Zhao Zhendong was arrested on January 3, 2005, and is being held in the city of Jiangjiakou.

  "On Palm Sunday March 20, 2005, the national security forces took the 86-year-old Bishop Giacomo Lin Xili of Wenzhou in the province of Zhejiang. The reason for his arrest is unknown.

  "Also in the diocese of Wenzhou, two days later, Mr. Gao Xinyou, a collaborator in the pastoral care of the laity in the area of Longgang, was arrested."
OP/ARRESTS:CLERGY:CHINA/NAVARRO-VALLS        VIS 20050403 (170)


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