Actress Showing Their Back

Campaign for the release of Father Shao and Jiang Sunian Zoumin


Sign the appeal for the release of Catholic priest Father Shao and Jiang Sunian Zoumin.

Together for Prato back to take care of religious freedom in Wenzhou, a city twinned with the province Prato and where they come from almost all Chinese residents in the city.

few days after Easter, came the news of the sentence to 9 and 11 months in prison for two Catholic priests of the diocese of Wenzhou, father and father Shao Jiang Sunian Zoumin arrested last Sept. 25 after returning from a pilgrimage to Rome. The arrest took place during the visit of the Governor Martini, the president and the mayor Logli Romagnoli mission in those days in China.

P. Shao Zhoumin, vicar general of Wenzhou diocese (in the eastern province of Zhejiang), and p. Jiang Sunian, chancellor of the same diocese, were stopped by police last year, three hours after landing in Shenzhen without it being given any reasons for their arrest. Both

p. Shao and p. Jiang have already been imprisoned twice. The first time in 1999. Following p. Shao, hospitalized for an illness contracted during his imprisonment, was released. In November of that year, however, p. Jiang was stopped for having illegally publishing 120,000 books of hymns and formally arrested on December 23.

At that time our association together for Prato, started a campaign for the release of Father Jiang Sunian, being the province of Prato twinned with the city of Wenzhou.

The campaign was carried out with an appeal to the mayor of Wenzhou, during the twinning ceremony took place in October 2003, in the presence of the authorities of the municipality of Wenzhou. Together for Prato had demonstrated, calling for the release of the priest and respect for religious freedom.

His sentence amounted to six years in prison and a fine of 270 thousand yuan, but was released on Christmas Day 2003.

The persecution of Catholics who do not join the Patriotic Association is controlled by the Communist Party daily. Religious freedom in China remains a mirage, Wenzhou local authorities continue to persecute the priests and Catholic faithful.

"For those seeking religious freedom who fail to adhere to the control of Patriotic, there are still arrests and convictions. In many underground communities of the faithful were unable to attend the celebrations because the police had been given orders to arrest priests. In Wenzhou (Zhejiang), on Holy Thursday, the police raided the place where you had to hold the Mass "in Cena Domini. The priests managed to escape just in time, escaping arrest. "

source Asianews

The bishop of the diocese of Wenzhou, Msgr. James Lin Xili, was also arrested in September 1999 and is still confined to the cathedral of the official Church without freedom of movement.

We therefore support the campaign to ask the immediate release of Father and Father Shao Jiang Sunian Zoumin, signing the appeal. The blog of the Civic List

Together for Prato