11/21/2024 China (International Christian Concern) — A 2024 report from the Hudson Institute highlights the ongoing persecution of 10 Catholic bishops in China. 

The report, released in October and written by Nina Shea, senior fellow and director of the Center for Religious Freedom, details the persecution of the bishops since the 2018 China-Vatican agreement on appointing bishops.  

The Chinese government continues to target Vatican-approved bishops who resist Communist Party control. The 10 bishops identified in the report have faced detention, surveillance, and other forms of repression, including indefinite imprisonment without due process, forced disappearances, and reeducation. The bishops are primarily opposed to joining the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association (CPCA), which requires its members to pledge independence from the Holy See. 

Under Beijing’s increasing control, the CPCA enforces policies such as the Sinicization of religion, which includes reinterpreting religious teachings to align with party ideology. The Vatican has expressed concern over these regulations, as the agreement was intended to address episcopal appointments but has not alleviated religious freedom violations. Since the agreement, several bishops have been detained, and Beijing has unilaterally appointed others, undermining the Vatican’s role in the selection process. 

The report urges U.S. policymakers to act by recognizing the Chinese Communist Party’s tactics toward Catholicism and advocating for the many Christians facing persecution. It calls for making religious freedom in China a central priority in U.S.-China relations. 

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