Religion: Christianity

Question 1

Why was Christianity seen as a threat to the CCP?

Answer 1

Communists believed that the church was representative of western imperialism ideas.

Question 2

How many Protestants lived to China in 1949?

Answer 2

1 million people.

Question 3

What action did the CCP take against Protestantism? What was the Patriotic Church Movement? How successful was it?

Answer 3

• Schools, universities and hospitals set up by the protestant church were taken over by the government.
• 1949: more than 300 protestant missionaries in China became less than 100 in 1952.
• ‘The patriotic church movement’ was organised for Chinese Protestant churches to support the regime. Leaders of Patriotic churches tried to encourage their congregations to be loyal to the CCP. They argues that the church should be run by the ‘three self principle’ (self ruling, self supporting, self propagating).

Question 4

How many Catholics lived in China 1949?

Answer 4

3 million.

Question 5

What actions did the CCP take against Catholicism?

Answer 5

• Catholics were subject to surveillance and forced to attend study meetings to write self-criticism.
• In 1951, there were 3222 catholic missionaries in China but only 364 left in 1953.
• Catholic counter-revolutionary clique led to 1500 jailed for Imperialism and spreading non-communist ideas.
• Clergy converted to physical labourers - leaders who resisted were sent to labour camps (Red Guards ultimately destroyed all Christianity in the CR).
  Sacred Heart Home for Children described as a Nazi Prison Camp and rumoured that the sisters starved and tortured the Children - said some were sold into slavery (people’s China Magazine).
  Public Chrisitan worship was ended in China (Catholic and Protestant)

Question 6

What were the limitations of the CCP’s actions for Catholicism?

Answer 6

• Some priests gave services in private homes.
• Pilgrims still met to celebrate Easter Sunday.
  Vatican refused to accept ‘patriotic churches’ were truly catholic.
• Congregation sizes at patriotic churches were low whereas congregations where the priest was independent of the regime increased.