Imprisoned Chinese Catholic Bishop Dies in Custody

Roman Catholic Bishop Han Dingxiang, age 71, died in police custody on September 9, after nearly eight years of imprisonment in China. "With the exception of a few of his very close relatives who were suddenly summoned by the government authority to his bedside before his death, none of his priests and other faithful were aware of his grave illness or of any other cause leading to his death; nor were they aware of the fact that he was dying in a hospital," according to a press release from the U.S.-based Cardinal Kung Foundation. "The bishop was immediately ordered by the government authority to be cremated at approximately 5 a.m. next morning and his ashes were buried immediately in a public cemetery — all within 6 hours after his death. Consequently, with the exception of a few relatives, the body of Bishop Han was not viewed by the public or by any other faithful," said the foundation statement.

Since coming to power in 1949, China's communist government has systematically persecuted all spiritual communities: Roman Catholic, Protestant, Evangelical Christian, Tibetan Buddhist, Muslim, and Falun Gong. Failing to stamp out religious belief, the Communist Party established the Religious Affairs Bureau to co-opt religion through religious institutions and leaders officially approved by the atheist government. Legitimate religious institutions must work underground. All 45 of China's legitimate Roman Catholic bishops are in prison, under house arrest, or in hiding.

During his episcopacy, Bishop Han was arrested by the Chinese authorities 11 times. His last arrest was on November 20, 1999 while he was conducting a religious retreat for some of his nuns. Prior to his ordination as bishop, Father Han had served a 19-year sentence in a labor camp, from 1960-1979.