As the law forbids minors from entering places of worship, Catholics are "reinventing" their homes as temporary "churches" for services that can include the whole family.

"Each family is continuing its faith activities at home and maintaining its strong bonds with God," says a young Catholic whose parents have helped organise local home churches.

Priests at the house meetings explain church teachings to young Catholics and strengthen their faith amid fears that younger generations will lose their family's traditional belief in Christianity: Beijing views all religions as a threat to its dominance.

Communist Party rules are more strictly observed in Henan province than elsewhere in China. Besides the prohibitions on minors from attending religious studies classes, the provincial government has been gathering data on Christians to monitor their activities.

In Henan:

• Elderly villagers have had to renounce their faith amid threats that their social security benefits will be withheld if they fail to comply
• Civil servants and teachers say their families have been threatened with punishment unless they stop attending services at their parish churches
• Protestant churches in several districts have had their crosses demolished
• A cathedral in Anyang diocese was ordered to remove its cross and hoist the national flag as a sign of patriotism
• Authorities reportedly forced the Anyang diocese bishop and priests to disclose where parishes' religious materials are printed
• Anyang's churches were ordered to remove all posters and other religiously-themed promotional materials
• At least four churches in Nanyang city were raided at dawn last Wednesday,

Practising religion in a clandestine fashion "is becoming a general trend in China now," one mother said. "There's no way to stop it."

Another underground Catholic said the new level of persecution reminded him of the 1966-76 Cultural Revolution which he experienced as a child.

"Now we seem to be returning to that period so our kids will get to experience just how bad things can get."

"Every round of persecution just makes the church stronger and the faithful more determined," he said. "External blows can't destroy one's inner faith."

Source

• La Croix
• VOA
• Image: millennialchristian.com

House churches where members meet in private houses are targeted.

The ban has closed house churches in Guangdong, Zhejiang, Anhui and Henan provinces recently.

The latest ban has closed a house church in Sichuan province.

It has to stop meeting under rules that govern religious gatherings.

This is because its pastors are not government-appointed and it is not a licensed church.

Zhang Mingxuan, a pastor and president of the Chinese House Church Alliance said there is a large operation against house churches taking place throughout China.

He described it as "harrassment".

He also said it "directly contradicts China's own laws and its supposed commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights".

The latest "Notice of Order to Reform" was issued to Pastor Zhang Daichun.

It said he was guilty of gathering Christians in the 40th building of Jiuzhaigou Garden in Yongle County "to perform Christian activities (sing hymns, pray, chant) since 2010".

Pastor Zhang had 15 days to stop letting Christians in to worship.

This includes stopping the hymn singing, praying and chanting.

Invited preachers were also banned in the notice, both from China and abroard.

"If you fail to make the corrections by the deadline, this department will impose administrative penalties according to the law," the notice says.

Source

• Christian Today
• Image: www.chinaaid.org