ICC Note: Bishop of Wenzhou Peter Shao Zhumin was abducted by Chinese government in May and since been under close watch for his underground church activities. He has not been unable to perform his episcopal duties and had to go through “re-education.” Moreover, he has been prevented from attending the funeral of a well-respected priest who died on September 2. The latest photo shows that he’s in Beijing and just went through an ear operation. The German government and the Vatican have publicly expressed concern about the fate of the bishop.

09/9/2017 China (Asia News) – Mgr Peter Shao Zhumin, bishop of Wenzhou (Zhejiang), is in a Beijing hospital for treatment (picture 1). Since May he has been closely monitored by police and the Religious Affairs Bureau, unable to perform his episcopal functions.

For the Holy See he is the ordinary bishop of Wenzhou, but the government does not recognise him as such because he belongs to the underground Catholic community.

Because of this he has been constantly prevented from serving his diocese and congregation, subjected to “religious education” to get him to join the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, the Church’s supervisory body, whose purpose is to build a Catholic community separate from the Holy See.

Mgr Shao was taken by police in April, a few days before Easter. According to some of the members of his diocese, he is currently in Beijing, from where the picture of him in pajamas (pictured) was sent. He is said to have undergone an ear operation.

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