Although the Patriotic Association of Chinese Catholics has usurped the allegiance of more than 3 million believers, a small underground church in China, holding clandestine services in private homes, has remained faithful to Rome. A hero of this remnant has been Gong Pinmei (Ignatius Kung), the bishop of Shanghai, who has been imprisoned for treason since 1955, steadfastly maintaining his loyalty to the Vatican. Xinhua, the official government news agency, last week reported that Gong, now nearly 84, had "repented" and had been paroled after agreeing to forswear any further contact with the Vatican. Gong, the news agency said, had kissed...
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