Bishop Lei Shiyin of Leshan is one of seven bishops in China who was excommunicated due to their episcopal consecrations being unapproved by the Holy See. The censures were later lifted after the Vatican-China deal was agreed.
Pope Francis previously said the deal will usher in a ‘new chapter of the Catholic Church in China,’ which so far has been marked by increased persecution of the Catholic faithful.
'Father Liu Maochun of Mindong Diocese was deprived of sleep, he was kidnaped, tortured and repeatedly punished for his refusal to join the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association,' the refugee, Catholic journalist, Dalù, details in a new video.
We can get at the truth by retracing the whole history of the relations between the Holy See and China during the pontificate of Benedict XVI, from 2005 to 2013.