And so, the persecution continues…

Authorities in the eastern province of Zhejiang have detained a Catholic bishop, weeks after an agreement between Beijing and the Holy See aimed to unify the state-sponsored and Vatican-endorsed, underground churches in China.

Bishop Peter (in Italian, Pietro) Shao of Wenzhou, a Catholic bishop recognized by the Vatican but not by the ruling Chinese Communist Party, was taken from his home last Friday for “isolation and indoctrination,” the Catholic Asianews.it website reported.

“Msgr. Pietro Shao Zhumin was kidnapped by police this morning at 9:00 a.m. and will be kept away from the diocese for ’10 or 15 days’,” the report said.

“Usually such forced seizures are defined by the police as “vacation periods.” They are actually periods of interrogation and indoctrination,” it said.

Bishop Shao’s enforced disappearance comes just weeks after a controversial deal between the ruling Chinese Communist Party and the Vatican over the appointment of bishops, amid warnings that religious repression targeting unofficial churches would likely intensify.

Radio Free Asia

I have no words except “pray.”