What happened?
Chinese clergy are coming under renewed pressure, despite the Vatican’s attempts to find a middle ground, according to reports. The authorities in Fuzhou are forcing priests to join the Patriotic Association (PA) – which many priests believe is contradictory to Church teaching, because it claims independence from Rome.
Why was it under-reported?
Partly because the story has only come out through the reporting of Bitter Winter, a specialist site whose sources take great risks to get information out. Partly because the sheer volume of bad news from China makes it difficult to keep up: just last week, UCA News reported an increase in the authorities banning summer camps and Scripture classes.
