China expands its religious war to the Catholic Church | Washington Examiner
Not content with its genocide against the Uyghur Muslim people, China is expanding its war on religious freedom. Beijing’s new front: the Catholic Church.
On Wednesday, Cardinal Joseph Zen was arrested by Hong Kong police. Officials say the 90-year-old, who retired from active service in 2009, is “accused of urging foreign organizations to impose sanctions against Hong Kong, which could endanger national security.” Translation: He spoke freely in a manner that the Chinese Communist Party disagrees with. Zen was arrested alongside a former pro-democracy lawmaker.
The basic takeaway is clear this is yet another terrible act of disdain for basic human rights. But it’s also a gratuitous insult to the global Catholic Church. General Secretary Xi Jinping’s government is aware that this arrest will cause profound upset around the world. Another despotic regime might have considered that risk before taking this action. Not Beijing. Nothing is more important to the CCP than its unyielding presentation of absolute control. If in doubt, it must strike out. But in this truth, the broader lesson becomes clear: Zen is an enemy of Xi’s despicable regime because he is incompatible with it. He is a man of decency who has spent his entire life in the service of higher values and those less fortunate. Zen thus represents everything that the CCP is not.