(Wenzhou, Zhejiang – July 17, 2025) The Chinese government’s ongoing crackdown on religion makes no distinction between “official” and “underground” churches. The latest example is the arrest and imprisonment of Father Ma Xianshi, a priest from the “official” Catholic Church in the Wenzhou Diocese. In recent years, underground bishop Shao Zhumin has also been arrested multiple times.
According to AsiaNews, Father Ma Xianshi was arrested in November last year and now faces prosecution. This tragic development exposes the so-called protection of the “Patriotic Association” as merely a CCP tool to control and tame the Catholic Church. The case demonstrates that the Party’s ultimate goal is to compel all bishops, priests, and catholics to pledge allegiance to the Party-state rather than the Pope.
The “Unexpected” Arrest of Father Ma Xianshi
Father Ma Xianshi, a seasoned priest in his fifties, serves in the Wenzhou Diocese located in Zhejiang Province, originally known as the Yongjia Diocese according to the Vatican. He previously served as vice president of the Catholic Affairs Committee for Zhejiang and has long been seen as a representative of the “official” church. He has reportedly been replaced.
His arrest came as a shock to many. After his last public appearance officiating a liturgy for All Souls’ Day on November 2, 2024, Father Ma vanished from public view.
Sources told AsiaNews that the reason for Father Ma’s arrest was absurd: he had been selling a hymn book titled Heavenly Melodies outside the province. The book, compiled and edited by priests and seminarians trained at Sheshan Seminary, was first published by Faith (Xinde) Press in 2001 and later printed by Nanjing Amity Printing Co. in 2005. Both versions are copyrighted by the Diocese of Wenzhou.
Praised as a high-quality hymn book, it is widely used in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai, and Fujian. Also arrested was Wenzhou Catholic businessman Zhuang Qiantuan, whose company, Angela Catholic Gifts, wholesaled the book at Yiwu Small Commodities Market.
The trial was originally scheduled for July 1, 2025, at Yiwu Court, but after 300 Wenzhou Catholics requested to attend the hearing, it was suddenly postponed, undoubtedly revealing the unease of the authorities.
A video posted on Baidu on February 13 showed a lawyer stating that Father Ma was facing a six-and-a-half-year custodial sentence, which could be reduced for good behavior, but no less than three years and three months.
The Illusion of “Patriotism”: A Tool of the CCP’s United Front
Father Ma Xianshi’s sufferings mirror the repeated detentions of underground bishop Shao Zhumin in the same diocese, revealing the Chinese government’s comprehensive repression of the Catholic Church. For years, the CCP has used the state-controlled “Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association” to coerce clergy into “transformation,” aiming to bring the Catholic Church fully under its control. It has attempted to present the illusion that clergy who join the Patriotic Association will be protected; however, Father Ma’s case exposes that disguise.
Another well-known case of a Christian in Zhejiang occurred during the 2015 campaign to remove church crosses across the province. Pastor Joseph Gu, then President of the Zhejiang Christian Council, publicly protested by issuing a statement. Six months later, Pastor Gu of the prominent Evangelical Chongyi Church was dismissed and arrested on charges of “embezzlement.” Although he was acquitted and released on Christmas Eve in 2017, he remained under house arrest for more than two years. His case tragically highlights the “reverse selection” of religious leaders in China, but at a tremendous cost.
A priest who requested anonymity expressed helplessly, “You have no choice but to obey the Communist Party.” This statement captures the predicament faced by countless clergy in China. The CCP’s “Catholic Patriotic Association” is not designed to protect the religious freedom of Catholics but rather serves as a tool of the United Front, aimed at dismantling the autonomy of the Church, severing ties with the Vatican, and ultimately ensuring that all clergy and Catholics obey only the Party, not the Pope.
During his six-month detention, Father Ma was not allowed to meet with his family. Only his lawyer was permitted to visit, and Ma was pressured to confess in exchange for a reduced sentence. Although his family distrusted the lawyer appointed by the Wenzhou Diocese, Father Ma was forced to switch lawyers. Nevertheless, authorities appeared determined to convict him. They even conducted a thorough audit of the diocesan finances in an attempt to find any personal or financial irregularities that could be used as evidence, but have found nothing so far. This further proves the absurdity of the charges and the political nature of the persecution.
The Cost of Faith and the Vatican’s Expectations
The tragedy of Father Ma Xianshi’s case lies not only in his personal suffering but also in how it reflects the broader reality that religious leaders in China cannot truly practice their faith freely under an authoritarian regime. One heartbroken Catholic lamented, “What a pity, what a shame, what a tragedy! Such a good priest, such a sorrow for the Diocese of Wenzhou!” Since the state-supported parish priests formed a “Catholic Patriotic Association,” “everything has changed.” The once-united church community that worked together to build a new church has lost its unity and principles.
Hundreds of Catholics from every parish Father Ma served have expressed their desire to attend the trial, an unmistakable act of silent protest against the government’s oppression.
In the face of the church’s current dire situation, one Catholic from Wenzhou voiced deep hopes for the new Pope: “We hope the Holy See will prioritize safeguarding the faith. If political compromise comes at the cost of respect for faith principles, if faith is reduced to a bargaining chip for influence and visibility, then we are fundamentally strangling it.”
The same Catholic from Wenzhou emphasized: “A church that does not bear witness to truth is destined to split apart. We hope the Vatican will at least express moral and spiritual support for us, so that we do not feel abandoned in our own home.”
The trial date for Father Ma Xianshi has yet to be announced. If he is convicted, it will be a disastrous shock to the official Catholic Church in the Wenzhou Diocese.
This case is not just the persecution of Father Ma as an individual, it is a blatant violation of the religious freedom of all Chinese Catholics. The “Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association,” under the guise of “patriotism,” forces Catholic clergy into “transformation” to fulfill the political aims of the Chinese government, further highlighting the intensifying religious control in China in recent years.
This article is based on a report from AsiaNews.
(Reported by Special Correspondent Gao Zhensai of ChinaAid)