Authorities have taken down over 1,200 crosses from
churches and other buildings for violating strict guidelines for where
and how churches in Zhejiang can display crosses.
(China)—[CBN News]
As China's authorities continue to crack down on Christian churches in
the Zhejiang province, a court has sentenced a Protestant pastor to 14
years in prison and his wife to 12 years in prison, according to Chinese
media. (Photo via CBN News)
Bao Guohua, a government-approved pastor, and his wife, Xing Wenxiang,
were convicted of corruption, financial crimes and gathering people to
disturb social order, the Zhejiang Daily newspaper reported Friday, according to the New York Times.
House church leader Zheng Leguo told the New York Times that
the couple, who was arrested last August, was targeted for their efforts
to defend their church against an order to remove its cross.
The court has fined Bao and his wife more than $20,000 and confiscated
close to $92,000 from each of them, the newspaper reported.
The court has sentenced an additional 10 people who were members of
Mr. Bao's church but did not give details of those sentences.
The arrests come at a time of increased persecution in China. A Human
Rights Watch reports in 2015, authorities began removing crosses from
churches and "in some cases demolished entire churches in Zhejiang
Province, considered the heartland of Chinese Christianity."
"At least a hundred Christians have reportedly been briefly detained
for resisting the demolitions since the start of the campaign in early
2014," the report adds.
Chinese authorities are planning to step up monitoring efforts by
requiring Roman Catholic officials to carry ID cards stating their
religious affiliation or losing the right to preach, The Christian Post reports.
The U.S.-based group International Christian Concern told The
Christian Post that it's distressing "to hear of the Nazi-like
identification credentials for Christian leaders in China. Our concern
is that this new requirement will force many churches and their leaders
underground."
Authorities have taken down over 1,200 crosses from churches and other
buildings for violatingstrict guidelines for where and how churches in
Zhejiang can display crosses. The regulation was implemented last May.
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Source: www.breakingchristiannews.com/
Topic: Chinese Pastor Sentenced to More than a Decade in Prison for Resisting Cross Removal
