Roman Catholic Bishop Detained in Northern China

BEIJING- A 69-year-old Roman Catholic bishop has been arrested by Chinese state security police in northern China.

Bishop Jia Zhiguo, head of an underground church in Zhengding city, Hebei province, was arrested on April 5, the Connecticut-based Cardinal Kung Foundation said in a statement.

Jia was taken away by four government security policemen who appeared at his home Tuesday afternoon.

The police refused to specify what charges the bishop was being detained under, and also, the government's Religious Affairs Bureau in Zhengding also declined to comment.

Jia earlier served some 20 years in prison for his religious beliefs, and was last briefly detained in April 2002. As part of his religious work, he takes care of some 100 orphans at his home.

His arrest follows the detention of Bishop Wei Jingyi in northeastern Heilongjiang province from March 5 to 14. Jingyi was the underground Roman Catholic bishop of Qiqihar.

This arrest of Zhiguo happened only weeks after the state constitution was amended to protect human rights.