Fr Ma, a former "patriotic" administrator in the Diocese of Wenzhou, also arrested
In the Catholic Church of Zhejiang Province, where Bishop Shao is a victim of repression, the priest who administered the “official” diocese is also targeted. Missing since November, he set to go on trial for publishing a book of sacred hymns without permission in another province, while rumours are circulating about his bank accounts. According to some sources, his real crime is insufficient loyalty to the Party.
Wenzhou (AsiaNews) – The underground Catholic community in the Diocese of Wenzhou,[i] is not alone in experiencing harsh repression by local authorities. Also called Yongjia according to its original name used by the Holy See, the diocese is located in the Chinese province of Zhejiang,
For several months, one of its priests, Fr Ma Xianshi has been in the eye of the storm. Until last year the "patriotic" priest oversaw the official Church in opposition to Bishop Peter Shao Zhumin, the underground prelate arrested several times in recent years.
Fr Ma, who was also vice president of the Catholic Affairs Committee for Zhejiang province, was reportedly replaced and has been under arrest since last November.
The latest information suggests that he was set to be tried at the start of this month at the Yiwu City Court, but the trial was postponed.
The official reason for Fr Ma's arrest is "public sale in another region" of the hymn book "Tianlu Miaoyin" (Heavenly Melodies), compiled by the diocese, a violation of state regulations.
As the diocese’s legal representative, Ma is criminally liable.
The book "Tianlu Miaoyin" is in fact a collection of hymns in Chinese used in many parishes in the provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai, and Fujian.
It was collected and edited by priests and seminarians trained at the Sheshan Seminary, and published in 2001 by the Faith publishing house as part of its liturgical series (no. 119).
In 2005, the printing was entrusted to Nanjing Amity Printing Co. Both editions are copyrighted by the Diocese of Wenzhou.
The version in question is a high-quality book with a leather cover and fine paper, reprinted eight times until March 2022.
The book was distributed wholesale in the Yiwu small goods market by a Catholic company founded by Zhuang Qiantuan, a Wenzhou Catholic, who was arrested along with Fr Ma.
The trial was set for 1 July at the Yiwu court, but three days earlier, after more than 300 Catholics from Wenzhou asked to attend the proceeding, the court suddenly announced the trial’s postponement to a later date.
In a video posted on Baidu on 13 February, a lawyer claims that Fr Ma faces a custodial sentence of six and a half years, with the possibility of a reduction in the case of cooperation, but no less than three years and three months.
The same source added that, the reason for such a long sentence is unclear since the proceeds from the book’s price (25–30 yuan) amounts to under 3.5 million yuan.
Furthermore, the book reportedly had the approval of an official bishop, so the overall financial responsibility should not fall entirely on Fr Ma.
Others claim that the government is systematically trying to discredit Fr Ma. Members of his parish were told that, unbeknownst even to his closest fellow priests, he kept 200 million yuan (almost US$ 28 million) in his personal account, a claim many priests find hard to believe.
Sadly, however, no official priest now dares to publicly defend him. In more than six months in prison, no one has been able to communicate with him.
One fellow priest reportedly commented: "In China, you can't help but listen to the Communist Party."
Even Fr Ma's colleagues in the Catholic Affairs Committee for Zhejiang, of which he was vice president, remained silent, describing the case as too sensitive. Some even called for his removal from official duties and the revocation of his priestly status.
According to some, Fr Ma was harshly hit for resisting the imposition of a government bishop in the Diocese of Wenzhou and for meeting Vatican officials during a pilgrimage, without authorisation.
Similar situations are not new in Zhejiang. In July 2015, during the campaign to remove crosses from churches, the Provincial Christian Association publicly protested.
Six months later, the association's president, Pastor Joseph Gu, of the well-known Evangelical Chongyi Church, was removed and arrested on charges of embezzlement. Although he was acquitted and released on Christmas Eve 2017, he spent more than two years under house arrest.
His case tragically highlights the "reverse selection" in religious leadership in China.
The same source reveals that neither Fr Ma nor book publisher Zhuang Qiantuan were allowed to meet with their families during their six-month detention; only lawyers were granted access, and only under heavy pressure to force the priest to confess to obtain a reduced sentence.
More than one lawyer was changed, as the family did not trust the lawyers appointed by the Diocese of Wenzhou.
The authorities are thoroughly auditing the diocese's accounts to indict him, but so far no serious personal or financial issues have emerged. Fr Ma's only "mistake" seem to be his loyalty to the Church and its principles.
The fact that hundreds of people from all the parishes he served wanted to attend the trial testifies to the important role Fr Ma (a man in his fifties) played in the life of the community.
"It's truly a shame, a shame, and a tragedy! A good priest sacrificed himself, and a diocese, that of Wenzhou, deeply wounded," the source noted.
Wenzhou is known as the "Jerusalem of China" for its high concentration of Christians, both Catholic and Protestant, and the generosity and unity of the community.
Ten years ago, local Protestantism was severely affected by the cross-demolition campaign. Now it's the Catholic Church's turn, both official and underground.
Children are barred from entering churches, while teachers frighten students by saying that "those who go to church will not be allowed to go to university."
Even university students and public officials avoid churches. All churches are now under video surveillance.
“Since the government-appointed parish priest founded the Patriotic Association, everything has changed,” a faithful reported. “’In China,’ the priest said, ‘you cannot help but listen to the Communist Party’.”
The principles of Church doctrine are being set aside, and the unity of the parish, once focused on the construction of the new church, has vanished.
Fr Ma's last documented public appearance was on 2 November 2024, during the liturgy on All Souls' Day. The date of his profession remains uncertain, but one thing is clear, if he is convicted, his priestly certificate will be revoked.
When asked what he expects from the new pope, a faithful from Wenzhou responded after a moment's reflection: “That the Holy See give greater importance to protecting the Church's faith. If respect for the principles of faith is sacrificed in exchange for political compromises, if faith becomes a bargaining chip for space and visibility, then we are killing it at its root.
“A Church that does not bear witness to the truth is destined to split. We hope that the Vatican will change course and, at least on a moral and spiritual level, will openly support us, so that we do not feel abandoned in our own family.”
[i] Dioecesis Iomchiavensis.
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16/05/2024 18:36
