Heze (AsiaNews) – Four priests of Heze (Caozhou) diocese (Shandong), eastern China, were forcibly taken away by police during the night of August 3 from a house in Luquan town of Dongming county (Shandong) during a spiritual gathering for priests.
Public security officials climbed over the walls of the house and claiming to be in pursuit of “thieves,” but then forced the four priests, who were sleeping, to go with them.
The administrator of Heze Father Wang Chengli, 48, and Fathers Zhao Wuji, in his 50s, Li Xianyang, 34, Sun Guichun, 38, are now detained at the Dongming county detention center.
Police have refused all visits and denied them food and water during the first day and two nights of their detention in order to force them to sign up their membership to the government-sanctioned Patriotic Association. However, Catholic sources in China have told AsiaNews so far the priests have refused to sign.
The government officials are also attempting to collect material against the four priests from the laypeople through coercion, the sources added. Church people have been unsuccessful in negotiating the release of the four priests with the police, and have learnt that national security bureau, city public security and religious affairs officials had gathered to interrogate the priests.
Catholics in the underground Church communities in China have asked the universal Church to pray and to help release the priests, “so that they can adhere to the principles of truth and continue to bear true witness of faith”.
