BEIJING, Sep. 4 (CWNews.com)

    A bishop of the underground Catholic Church in China has been missing since he was arrested last week.

    Auxiliary Bishop Jiang Ming Yuan of Zhao Xian in Hebei province was arrested on August 26, after he was consecrated a bishop in the underground Church on August 8. The Communist Chinese government requires Christians to worship only in state-controlled associations, including the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, which eschews any connections to the Vatican or the Pope. Many Catholics worship in illegal, underground churches, following only bishops appointed by the Pope.

    The Fides news agency reported that Bishop Jiang's disappearance was "the latest chapter in a campaign by the Chinese government during at least the last six years to eliminate the entire underground Church."

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