Wenzhou, New Crackdown on Catholic Conscientious Objectors
By Zeng Liqin | Bitter Winter | July 11, 2025
Despite the agreement with the Vatican, China continues to arrest priests, nuns, and believers who refuse to join the CCP-controlled Patriotic Church.
Pope Leo XIV is reportedly deliberating on the future of the recently renewed Vatican-China deal from 2018. Meanwhile, authorities in Beijing are intensifying their crackdown on Catholic conscientious objectors who oppose the agreement. They are part of an underground church that, in theory, should have merged with the government-controlled Patriotic Catholic Church and ceased to exist.
In the southeastern Chinese province of Zhejiang, particularly within the Diocese of Wenzhou, a concerning crackdown on the underground church has reached alarming proportions. This intensified campaign, which began in spring 2025, involves the systematic arrests of priests, nuns, and lay followers, the closing of places of worship, and coercive methods aimed at forcing clergy and believers into compliance with the Patriotic Catholic Church.
The immediate catalyst for this aggression stemmed from a pilgrimage abroad taken by a group of underground clergy and believers in 2024. Upon their return, authorities launched a baseless accusation of “illegal migration,” claiming they conducted religious activities while using tourist visas. This charge appears to be a mere fabrication, intended to coerce Bishop Shao Zhumin, a key advocate for conscientious objection, into conforming to the Patriotic Church.
The reality is stark: Bishop Shao faces a harrowing ultimatum—align with the Patriotic Church, and detained clergy will be freed; resist, and they risk facing formal charges.
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