Catholics Forbidden Even to Buy Bibles at Iconic Cathedral Dear Pope Leo XIV (@Pontifex), President Xi Jinping, Director Duan Yijun of the National Religious Affairs Administration, Mayor Gong Zheng of Shanghai, Bishop Joseph Shen Bin, Director Chen Chang, Deputy Pan Yuanqing, and Party Secretary Zhou Yan of the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Ethnic and Religious Affairs: At St. Ignatius Cathedral, 158 Puxi Road, Xujiahui, once a living house of prayer and a wonder of the world, the doors have been closed to visitors since the start of 2026 under claims of renovation. Public worship has ceased for months. In the affiliated store, every shelf was stripped by 1 August. Bibles and the Four Common Prayers vanished. When the faithful asked, the only answer was: “They’re gone, they’re all gone.” What greater emptiness exists than a cathedral without the Word of God? As stewards of heavenly and civil authority, how can the doors of this historic house of prayer remain closed? Open the doors. Return the Bibles. Restore free worship. The eyes of history now wait. #ReligiousFreedomChina# #ShanghaiCatholics# #StIgnatiusCathedral# #ChinaAid# #PersecutedChurch# Photo: “St. Ignatius Cathedral, Shanghai” by 钉钉, CC BY-SA 4.0 Map: OpenStreetMap

Chinese Pastors Sentenced for Hosting Weddings and Home Worship Three leaders of Maizhong Reformed Church in Fuyang, Anhui Province, were sentenced on August 10 to prison terms of up to one year and seven months for “organizing illegal gatherings.” Zhang Sensen received one year and seven months, Chang Shun one year and six months, and Ma Shutao one year and four months. Prosecutors cited home worship, weddings, and religious instruction after authorities shut the independent congregation in 2023. Families condemned the verdicts, noting the men were punished for ordinary pastoral work. Wives reported threats against them and their children during interrogations. ChinaAid President Bob Fu called the sentences part of a broader campaign treating unregistered Christian worship as criminal under Xi Jinping’s Sinicization policy. ChinaAid demands their immediate release. Stand with China’s persecuted believers—share this story, pray for Zhang, Chang, and Ma, and urge governments to hold Beijing accountable. Read Now #ChinaHouseChurchPersecution# #FreeMaizhongLeaders# #ReligiousFreedomChina# #AnhuiChurchCrackdown# #DefendChristianFaith# We are praying for you and your families: @MZ2025629 @pnwng188585 @lmi975123390297

Shanghai Police Detain 7 Christians from Underground Church Pastor David Tang, founder of Wenzhou’s Purpose Driven Church, and six fellow Christians disappeared after Shanghai police detained them in a cross-provincial raid on August 5, 2026. The group, including a church financial administrator and five Shanghai ministry workers, remains incommunicado, with authorities refusing to disclose charges or locations. The independent congregation, popular among young professionals, had refused to join the state-controlled Three-Self Patriotic Movement and continued meeting underground. ChinaAid president Bob Fu stated the secret detentions show the Chinese Communist Party escalating intimidation and enforced disappearances against unregistered churches, often masking religious persecution with criminal accusations. Families and advocates demand immediate disclosure of their whereabouts, access to counsel, and unconditional release amid ongoing pressure on Wenzhou’s Christian community. Stand with Pastor Tang and the six missing believers: share this story, pray for their release, and urge global leaders to demand religious freedom in China now. Read Now #ReligiousFreedomChina# #PastorDavidTang# #HouseChurchPersecution# #ChinaAid# #StopCCPCrackdown#