The head of the Vatican's worldwide missionary activities has accused
the Chinese Government of inflicting "indoctrination and pressure" on
Catholics.Cardinal Fernando Filoni, Prefect of the Vatican Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, said the Church, especially the Holy See, had to defend the rights of the Chinese faithful by speaking out.
The cardinal made his comments in a letter published in Chinese, English and Italian as a follow-up to the Pope's 2007 invitation to all Catholics to unite in communion with Rome rather than showing loyalty to state-controlled associations of Chinese clergy and laity.
"Control over persons and institutions has been honed and sessions of indoctrination and pressure are being turned to with ever greater ease," the cardinal said.