China Intensifies Repression of Underground Catholic Communities as Sinicization Campaign Expands

The Chinese government has significantly escalated its pressure on underground Catholic communities, utilizing a combination of legislative frameworks, high-tech surveillance, and the controversial 2018 agreement with the Holy See to coerce independent worshipers into joining state-controlled religious organizations. According to a comprehensive report released by Human Rights Watch, the administration under President Xi Jinping has tightened its ideological grip over the nation’s estimated 12 million Catholics, implementing a systematic campaign of "Sinicization" that seeks to align religious practice with the dictates of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

This intensification of control comes a decade after the Sinicization campaign was officially launched in April 2016. Under this policy, religious teachings and places of worship are mandated to reflect Han-centric Chinese culture and CCP ideology. While the 2018 Provisional Agreement Regarding the Appointment of Bishops was intended to bridge the decades-long divide between the Vatican and Beijing, researchers and human rights advocates argue it has instead provided a legalistic veneer for the state to dismantle underground churches and persecute clergy who refuse to pledge allegiance to the government-run Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CCPA).

The 2018 Holy See-China Agreement and its Consequences

The 2018 agreement, which has been renewed three times and remains valid through October 2028, established a framework where Beijing proposes episcopal candidates for the Pope to either approve or veto. However, the full text of the agreement remains classified, leading to significant transparency concerns among the Catholic laity. Despite the Vatican’s hope that the deal would foster unity, the reality on the ground has been marked by unilateral appointments by Beijing and a lack of papal vetoes, even when the terms of the pact were ostensibly violated.

Since Pope Leo XIV took office in May 2025, he has approved five appointments made by Beijing. Critics argue that this diplomatic approach has inadvertently left underground Catholics vulnerable. Many practitioners feel betrayed, viewing the agreement as an "intelligent weapon" used by the CCP to legally dismantle independent communities. By forcing underground bishops to choose between joining the CCPA or facing total marginalization, the state has effectively cornered the leadership of the independent church.

Human Rights Watch reports that since 2018, authorities have used arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, and torture to pressure underground clergy. High-profile figures such as Bishop Joseph Zhang Weizhu and Bishop Melchior Shi Hongzhen have recently been recognized by Beijing, but often after years of immense pressure. Others, like the 94-year-old Bishop James Su Zhimin, remain forcibly disappeared, while figures such as Bishop Vincent Guo Xijin live under perpetual house arrest.

Systematic Sinicization and Ideological Control

The "Sinicization" of religion is not merely a cultural shift but a rigorous ideological transformation. In December 2023, the CCPA and the Chinese Catholic Bishops’ Conference published a five-year plan to promote the Sinicization of Catholicism. The document, which mentions the term "Sinicization" 73 times, calls for church doctrines, governance, and even sacred art to be made "compatible with socialist society." Notably, the plan makes no reference to the Holy See, emphasizing instead the guidance of President Xi Jinping.

Ideological training for clergy has become a mandatory and frequent requirement. In some provinces, priests are subjected to political indoctrination sessions twice a week. Furthermore, the state has expanded its oversight of religious content; priests are now required to submit their sermons for review by relevant authorities before they can be delivered. This level of censorship ensures that no religious teaching contradicts the state’s narrative or promotes loyalty to a foreign entity above the CCP.

In September 2025, the government further tightened the digital sphere by issuing the Online Code of Conduct for Religious Professionals. This regulation bans the online circulation of any religious content not pre-authorized by the state, effectively cutting off the public from any spiritual guidance that exists outside government-sanctioned channels.

Technological Surveillance and Restrictions on Worship

The physical environment of worship has also been transformed by the state’s security apparatus. Official churches are now routinely equipped with facial recognition cameras to monitor attendees. In provinces like Henan, some churches have implemented pre-registration systems where congregants must apply via mobile apps to attend services, allowing the government to filter and track participants in real-time.

Underground Catholics have reported that even when their communities join the official church, the repression does not end. Authorities have been known to reschedule mass to inconvenient hours to discourage attendance, shutter windows so that prayers are not visible from the street, and prohibit the use of choirs. In some regions of Inner Mongolia and Shaanxi, Catholics have resorted to organizing "fake wedding gatherings" as a cover for communal prayer, seeking to evade the heavy surveillance present at official church premises.

A Generation at Risk: Bans on Religious Education for Minors

One of the most profound aspects of the current crackdown is the systematic effort to prevent the transmission of faith to the next generation. While Chinese law does not explicitly forbid minors from entering religious sites, local authorities have interpreted the 2018 Regulations on Religious Affairs as a de facto ban. Throughout the country, signs are posted outside churches prohibiting those under 18 from entering.

In December 2025, a church in Xuchang, Henan province, was closed after authorities discovered minors playing musical instruments inside. More alarmingly, internal government documents from the Central United Front Leading Group, reviewed in late 2025, explicitly forbid parents from providing religious education to their children at home. Schools have been instructed to "guide students to proactively report" parents who instill religious ideas in their children, creating a climate of fear and suspicion within families.

This policy extends to charitable activities as well. Over the last decade, the state has systematically removed the legal status of Catholic-run social welfare facilities, including orphanages and centers for children with disabilities. These institutions have been shuttered, and the children transferred to state-run facilities, a move that advocates believe is motivated by a desire to eradicate Catholic influence from social services.

Chronology of Key Events (2012–2026)

• November 2012: Xi Jinping assumes power, marking the beginning of a more restrictive era for religious freedom.
• April 2016: President Xi officially launches the "Sinicization" campaign at the National Conference on Religious Work.
• February 2018: Revised Regulations on Religious Affairs take effect, tightening control over religious venues and activities.
• September 2018: The Holy See and China sign the initial Provisional Agreement on the appointment of bishops.
• 2020–2023: The agreement is renewed multiple times; Beijing continues to unilaterally appoint bishops in violation of the pact.
• December 2023: The CCPA publishes a five-year plan for the Sinicization of Catholicism, prioritizing CCP ideology over Vatican ties.
• May 2025: Pope Leo XIV is installed and continues the policy of approving Beijing’s episcopal appointments.
• September 2025: Introduction of the Online Code of Conduct for Religious Professionals and internal directives banning home-based religious education.
• December 2025: Launch of the nationwide "Study the Regulations" campaign and new restrictions on clergy travel.
• April 2026: Human Rights Watch releases its findings, calling for an urgent review of the Vatican-China agreement.

Restrictions on Travel and International Ties

The Chinese government has also moved to isolate the domestic church from the global Catholic community. In December 2025, the "Provisional Regulations on the Standardized Management of Exit-and-Entry Travel Documents for Catholic Clergy" were implemented. These regulations require all clergy—including bishops, priests, and nuns—to surrender their passports to state authorities. Any travel outside the mainland, even for personal reasons, now requires explicit state approval.

Foreigners in China are also strictly prohibited from conducting religious activities. The 2025 regulations formalize bans on foreigners preaching, holding group religious activities, or disseminating religious materials. Experts on Beijing-Vatican relations suggest that these moves are part of a broader national security strategy that views foreign religious ties as a potential channel for "subversion."

Implications and International Law

The actions of the Chinese government represent a significant departure from international human rights standards. The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, specifically Article 18, guarantees the freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. China is also a party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which protects the right of children to participate in cultural and religious life—a right clearly violated by the ban on minors in churches and home-based religious education.

Human rights researchers argue that the survival of the underground church is now in jeopardy. As older underground bishops die or are detained, and as the state prevents the appointment of new ones outside the CCPA framework, the independent Catholic community faces a "slow-motion extinction."

"The Holy See and the international community must recognize that the 2018 agreement is being used as a tool of repression," said Yalkun Uluyol, a China researcher at Human Rights Watch. "Without a significant shift in diplomatic strategy, the spiritual independence of millions of Chinese Catholics may be permanently extinguished under the weight of state-mandated Sinicization."

As of April 2026, neither the Chinese government nor the Holy See has officially responded to the findings presented by Human Rights Watch. The ongoing silence from both parties continues to cause anxiety among the underground faithful, who remain caught between their religious convictions and the increasingly absolute demands of the state.