Last May, during a visit home to Hebei province, the Chinese nuns were arrested by mainland authorities, according to three Catholic clerics with knowledge of the matter. The nuns, in their 40s, were detained for three weeks before being released into house arrest without being charged. They are forbidden to leave the mainland, according to one of the clerics. Meanwhile, Western diplomats say, Chinese security agents have stepped up surveillance of the Hong Kong mission in recent months.

Given the absence of diplomatic relations between China and the Holy See, the low-profile mission in Hong Kong is limited in its function and is not even listed in the Roman Catholic Church’s formal directory of every priest and property in the city.

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