(April 3, 2009) A prominent Catholic bishop has been arrested in China, the Vatican
said on Thursday, adding that the move could hurt Pope Benedict's efforts to improve
dialogue with the communist country. Bishop Giulio Jia Zhiguo of Zhengding diocese
was arrested by police and, according to Rome-based AsiaNews agency, taken from his
home to an undisclosed location on March 30. He has been repeatedly detained in the
past. In a statement, the Vatican expressed "profound sadness" over the latest arrest
of Bishop Zhiguo. "This is not, unfortunately, an isolated case," the Vatican said.
"Other members of the Church have also been deprived of their freedom or are subjected
to undue pressure and limitations on their pastoral activity." China's communist
government does not allow its Catholics to recognise the Pope's authority and forces
them to be members of the Chinese Patriotic Association, the state-backed Catholic
organisation. There are between 8 million and 12 million Catholics in China, split
between the official and underground churches.