Pekingology China's Church Divided
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Jan 8, 2026 Paul Mariani, a Jesuit priest and professor at Santa Clara University, dives into the complexities of Catholicism in post-Mao China. He explores the Communist Party's cautious approach to religion and the significance of Document 19 in shaping policy. Mariani discusses the delicate balance between state-approved Patriotic Associations and underground churches, highlighting Bishop Louis Jin's pivotal role in navigating these tensions. He also evaluates the Vatican's controversial 2018 agreement with Beijing and its impacts on Chinese Catholics.
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State-Guided Religious Rehabilitation
- The CCP moved from brutal suppression to managed rehabilitation of religion after the Cultural Revolution.
- Document 19 (1982) signaled controlled religious reopening that remained influential until about 2012.
Old Bureaucrats, New Religious Control
- The party revived preexisting organs and personnel to manage religion rather than creating fresh faces.
- United Front and Religious Affairs Bureau returned with some of the same officials from before the Cultural Revolution.
Patriotic Associations Are State Tools
- Patriotic Associations function as state-controlled mass organizations linked to the United Front.
- They are instruments for mobilizing religious believers in line with party objectives, not independent churches.
