|PIC1|It has been reported that China has finally released a bishop after spending 10 years in jail for being a member of the underground Roman Catholic Church that remains loyal to the Pope and the Vatican.

The Cardinal Kung Foundation, a US-based group, which monitors religious persecution in China, has reported that Bishop An Shuxin was released from confinement this week.

In 1996, whilst working in the Hebei province, Bishop An was arrested after the Chinese government stated that it did not recognise the Pope’s authority. Rather the government forcibly insisted that all Chinese Catholics belong to the state-operated Church.

The Chinese Church was established after the Vatican and Beijing severed relations in the 1950’s.

An estimated several million belong to the Chinese Church, although it is widely known that millions more belong to thousands of underground churches, which operate “illegally” away from the official state-run Church.

|TOP|Persecution watchdogs explain that the Chinese government fears any challenge to its authority from church groups, and this has led to extended prison sentences being handed out to a number of Christians who are discovered to be members of these underground churches.

According to the Kung Foundation, Bishop An remains under surveillance despite his release.

Despite the recent release, the organisation also states that six other Roman Catholic bishops remain in prison in China.

"We hope that this release is not an isolated case, but rather the beginning of the release of many dozens of other Roman Catholic bishops, priests and faithful currently being jailed by the Chinese authorities across China," the Cardinal Kung Foundation said in its statement.