"Purge Imperialists"

When the Communists took over China, they thought they knew just what to do with the country's some 3,500,000 Roman Catholics: set up an "independent" (i.e., puppet) Catholic church, and switch them in. For more than a year it has been clear to the Communists that the plan is not working. Latest reports from refugees in Hong Kong: during the last two months Communist propaganda in such cities as Shanghai has barely mentioned the independent church; instead, it is plugging a new slogan--"Love country, love church, purge imperialists."

The definition of imperialists is foreign priests, or Chinese priests who resist pressure to play ball with the Communist government. Against the dozen priests recently arrested in Shanghai (TIME, July 6) were lodged an assortment of blood & thunder charges backed up by a public exhibit of firearms, knives, invisible ink, code books, and murder-plot documents. Church officials in Hong Kong fear this is just the beginning: in China today are 349 foreign priests (about 40 in jail), 19 lay brothers and 196 nuns (as compared with 2,500 foreign priests, 100 brothers and 2,000 nuns when the Communists came to power). In addition, there are some 2,000 Chinese priests, of whom about 200 are in jail. The U.S. consulate lists a total of 40 American missionaries now in China--31 Catholics and nine Protestants.

Since the arrests began, refugees report that attendance has tripled at Shanghai's seven Catholic churches. There have been stories, too, of high personal courage. When the Communists called a meeting of Catholics in one Shanghai parish to listen to a series of tirades against an arrested priest, a woman rose and shouted: "We are told our priests are bad. I think it's the Communists who are bad."

"How can you prove this?" demanded the chairman.

The woman promptly produced a fistful of bank notes and waved them aloft. "Here' is my proof," she yelled. "These 10,000 People's dollars, which the Communists paid me to come here and denounce our priests!" Then the police closed in.

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