On June 27, the authorities in Shijiazhuang city demolished the tent structure of underground Loyalty church, when its Bishop Dong Baolu was hospitalized for a medical checkup. He told Radio Free Asia, “After I was admitted to the hospital, on Monday (June 27) they removed [it]. It has been more than ten days.”

ICC has reported earlier that Bishop Dong’s church faced demolition after local authorities had visited him and learned that he does not plan to join the official church. In his diocese, Zhengding, all the priests have been asked to join the state-vetted Catholic Church.

“Most of the [priests] in Zhengding diocese have received [preaching] certificates and signed the agreement. I am the only one left. Do you think they’d let me pass? I am the remaining one among more than 100 priests, certainly they will not spare me,” he told RFA.

His parishioners were concerned that he might be taken away, so they arranged for him to be away before the alleged demolition took place. As Bishop Dong foresaw, the demolition did take place during his absence.

Source: persecution.org