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| Officials dismantle a church cross. (Photo: ChinaAid) |
ChinaAid
(Liaocheng, Shandong—Nov. 20, 2018) Several buildings associated with the Chaocheng Catholic Church were demolished by the government on Nov. 11 as Christians protested outside. Currently, only the sanctuary remains, and church members have moved into it so they can guard it continuously.
The demolition team arrived at the church without any notice on Nov. 11. Many Christians showed up to protest, even hanging a banner over one of the crew’s machines, labeling it a “Vehicle of forced, illegal demolition.” One woman raised a cross and joined other church members in singing hymns together.
The church’s attendees protected the sanctuary, keeping it from being demolished. However, they remain anxious that it will be destroyed at a later date.
The walls of the church are covered in banners, one which says “Safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the church. Resist illegal demolitions resolutely,” and the other quotes one of the beatitudes from the Bible, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness …” (Matthew 5:11).
Originally, the church was the home of the Sisters of Our Lady of China, built by German nuns in 1940. It was one of the four major Catholic religious institutions from women in Shandong at the time and currently belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Yanggu. In 2000, the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, a government-run institution, merged this diocese with the Linqing Diocese to form the Liaocheng Diocese, but this move has not been recognized by the Vatican.
In recent years, local officials have been telling churches they do not possess the correct land certificates and uses that excuse to “recover” the property via demolition. In Jinan, Shandong, alone, three churches have been demolished since the beginning of the year. Chaocheng Catholic Church is the fourth recorded case of church demolitions in the province.
ChinaAid exposes abuses, such as those suffered by Catholic churches in China, in order to stand in solidarity with the persecuted and promote human rights, religious freedom, and rule of law.
ChinaAid Media Team
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