As the sun streams through the stained glass windows of St Joseph’s Cathedral in central Beijing, members of the kneeling congregation pray for their country, each other and for the Pope.
But these daily prayers mask a deep rift between the Vatican and the Chinese government. The two sides do not have formal diplomatic relations and are increasingly at odds over bishop appointments in the official Chinese Catholic Church, which is run by a government body.
Catholics in China are also coming under growing pressure from state authorities, which have raided unlicensed churches and imprisoned clergy. The number of priests in China has been falling, and last year two seminaries had to shut down.
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