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12h ago EN
Catholics in China face growing restrictions on everyday religious practices
Naypyidaw, Nov 7 (IANS) The restrictions on religious practices for Catholics in China are extending beyond churches and clergy, affecting routine expressions of faith, including access to prayer books, participation in religious pilgrimages, rosary broadcasts and funeral services, a report has stated. It noted that the scope of religious practice is shaped not merely by what takes place within church premises but also by regulations governing religious publications, public gatherings, communication and traditional rites. “A Bible removed from a church shop, a pilgrimage cancelled after a priest receives new instructions, a prayer broadcast that suddenly disappears from the internet: for Catholics in China, restrictions on religious practice are increasingly being felt in the ordinary details of spiritual life. In Shanghai, reports of a ban on Catholic funeral rites at city funeral homes have added a particularly troubling dimension to those concerns, extending the reported restrictions beyond worship and religious education to the ceremonies surrounding death,” according to a report in Myanmar media outlet 'Mizzima News' Citing testimonies from Catholics who spoke on condition of anonymity to the US-based news website 'The Epoch Times', the report highlighted increasing controls over religious publications, access to churches, organised pilgrimages and online prayer activities. Custom Ad: Multiplex “The allegations are difficult to verify independently in every instance, but they raise questions about the practical space available for Catholic worship in a country where religious organisations operate under close state supervision,” it noted. The report stated that although China’s Communist Party (CCP) officially recognises Catholicism as one of the five authorised religions, its practice remains subject to political supervision. “Religious institutions must operate within a regulatory framework that places registration, clergy appointments, publications and organised activities under government scrutiny. Under President Xi Jinping, the policy of ‘sinicisation’ has further emphasised that religious beliefs and institutions must conform to the political priorities and cultural framework defined by the state,” it added. The report observed that restrictions on everyday religious activities are part of a wider struggle over the governance and leadership of the Catholic Church in China. While the government recognises the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, Catholic communities functioning outside the state-approved framework have come under increased pressure, Mizzima News mentioned. Citing an April 2026 report by Human Rights Watch (HRW), it said Chinese authorities had stepped up surveillance, ideological scrutiny and travel restrictions targeting Catholics. The findings also documented pressure on underground clergy and communities that refuse to come under the state-controlled church structure, including alleged arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances and house arrests, the report highlighted. These developments, it said, reflected that state-imposed boundaries “are becoming more intrusive, reaching further into the private and communal dimensions of religious life.” --IANS scor/as
