Two underground Catholic priests arrested
Rome (AsiaNews/Kung Foundation) - Father Lu Genjun, 42 years old, and Father Cheng Xiaoli, 40 years old, both underground Roman Catholic priests, were arrested on May 14, 2004 in An Guo, Hebei by Chinese government security policemen just before the two priests were to start classes for natural family planning and moral theology courses.
Father Lu belongs to the underground Roman Catholic Diocese of Baoding, Hebei. He has been arrested on Palm Sunday, April 5, 1998 for a short period and arrested again shortly before Easter in 2001. On April 13 2001 the Baoding government condemned him to "reform through labour" for three years in the Gaoyang County labor camp (Hebei). He was just recently released from the labor camp and arrested again. He was ordained in 1990. He is now detained in the police detention center of Dingzhou, Hebei.
Father Cheng Xiaoli belongs to the underground Roman Catholic Diocese of An Guo, Hebei. This diocese has been without a bishop since the death of its bishop, Liu Difeng, in the Chinese jail in Cheng De, Hebei in 1992. Father Cheng was ordained in 1991. It is not known where he is being detained at present.
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