Prelate with government ties says campaign damages religious freedom
Archbishop Paul Kwong of the Anglican Church in Hong Kong has called on China\u2019s central government to halt the cross-removal campaign in Zhejiang.<\/p>\n
The archbishop told the Chinese diocesan weekly Echo that he felt \u201csad and sorry\u201d\u009d over news reports about physical clashes and the burning of crosses that have accompanied the campaign. More than 1,200 crosses in Zhejiang have been removed and several churches demolished since late 2013 under a controversial \u201cillegal structures\u201d\u009d provision many believe is being misused to target Christians.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlacing a cross on top of a Church is a common practice in Christianity. If the Zhejiang authorities think there is a safety concern to have an oversized cross, it only needs to order the church to change for a smaller one,\u201d\u009d said the archbishop in the report published on Aug. 9.<\/p>\n