STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, AUGUST 29 (ZENIT.org).- The Cardinal Kung Foundation, founded by the late Cardinal Ignatius Kung Pin-Mei, reports that Fr. Gao Yi Hua of Fujian province was arrested on the evening of August 19.
Fr. Gao belongs to the underground Catholic Church, which is faithful to the Pope. A group of police officers arrived on the scene of a friend's house, where he was celebrating Mass for the family. His current whereabouts are unknown, and no official charges have been released by the police. The presumable reason for the arrest is his refusal to register with the Patriotic Association, which is controlled by the government.
The 44-year-old priest already spent two years of his 16-year ministry in a forced labor camp. He was released that time in 1991.
Joseph Kung, president of the Cardinal Kung Foundation and nephew of the late Cardinal, said: "The Patriotic Association was founded by the Chinese communist government in 1957. Why should an atheist government like China establish a church, as it was never the agenda of an atheist government to propagate religious faith? The objective of the Communists in creating the Patriotic Association was therefore to replace the Roman Catholic Church and to control the church entirely by the government. The Patriotic Association does not recognize the supremacy of the Pope in the Catholic Church, and is autonomous from and not obedient to the Pope. The Patriotic Association also appoints its own bishops without a mandate from the Pope. There are approximately four million followers in the Patriotic Association. In contrast, the population of the underground Church, in spite of its suffering severe ongoing persecution by the Chinese government for the past 50 years, increased from approximately 3 million in early 1950 to approximately 12 million today. In his speech on December 3, 1996, the Holy Father proudly proclaimed the underground Church as 'a precious jewel of the Catholic Church.' "
The Chinese goverment is currently involved in an effort to make underground Church members register with the Patriotic Association. The resistance of its members has led to an escalation of the persecution of the underground Church. According to Kung, "Hundreds of underground bishops, priests, and Catholic faithful are still in prison or labor camp. Fr. Gao is apparently one the latest victims." ZE00082921
ZEN - Zenith