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| 河南圣恩堂被焚 （资料图片） |
（河南-2018-4月19日）4月初以来，河南多地政府官员对基督教和天主教堂采取各种压制性措施，关闭和强拆教堂、十字架。多位信徒称，当地政府官员走街串巷，挨家挨户要求民众交出宗教印刷品，铲除带有宗教色彩的横幅，墙雕等装饰。基层干部威胁信徒，如果继续信教，将扣除发他们的老人补助或低保补助。同时，当局继续在乡村排查宗教信仰情况。
河南多位要求匿名的基督徒告诉记者，四月上旬起，河南各地政府开始大规模强拆十字架、教堂。河南商丘教区，柘城县城关镇金庄教会十字架被拆。
另外，政府以“不许孩子上学”和“扣除老人每月 160元补助金”的手段，威胁教友放弃信仰。村干部挨家挨户的要求信徒将家中的宗教用品上缴，责令信徒不准他们的子女信教。一位信徒称：“村干部说，如果不听劝告，就会扣发老人补助金或低保。家里如果有公务员或做生意的，就让你做不成生意，或者叫单位把你开除”。
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| 泌阳福音堂海报 （资料图片） |
当地天主教卫辉教堂创办的幼儿园，近期被强行关闭。当地人称，政府出动保安员和辅警，半夜偷偷将幼儿园内的课桌、椅子及教学用品搬走。还将大门封死。
巩义市西村镇潭村教堂，也于四月中旬被当局强拆。有信徒试图在场拍摄，相机被抢走。与此同时，滑县一座刚建好的教堂被当局禁止装修，并在大门上贴上封条，强行封闭。滑县高墙营天主教堂两次被查抄，圣物被拉走，教堂门卫被赶走。安阳教区辛村天主教教堂于本周四（17日）被查封，十字架被强拆。同一天（17日），天主教焦作新区北西尚教堂十字架，遭到当局强拆，教堂中的儿童圣经和书籍收走，教堂的财务被政府人员强行接管。
据当地信徒称，郑州教区所辖堂，已有双槐、树堂、贾峪堂、油坊堂的祈祷本、歌本和圣经被公安强行抄走。天主堂的门墙上和门头上挂着“杞县反邪教警示教育宣传活动走进天主教堂”、“宗教活动场所不得向未成人传教”等横幅。在濮阳教区，当局除了强拆教堂，还逼迫教会领袖公开教友的个人信息，包括身份证号、工作单位、家庭住址等。信徒称，河南当局已全面展开取缔宗教活动的行动，而这种行为正在扩大。
对华援助协会特约记者乔农报道
英文翻译：
The local governments in Henen Province begin to remove crosses from Christian churches
(Henan-2018-4-19)Since the beginning of April, the government suppression of Christians and Catholics has intensified. The local governments shut down churches and forcibly removed church crosses. According to local Christians, the government officials visited every household, demanding the residents to turn in religious materials, decorations and banners with religious images. The officials also threatened to revoke the monthly allowance and subsidies for senior citizens if they remain Christians. Besides, the government begins to investigate and record the statistics of residents with religious beliefs in the countryside.
Several anonymous local Christians told the reporter that the local governments in Henan Province started to demolish churches and remove church crosses in large scale. For instance, the government removed the cross from the Jinzhuang Church of Guan Town, Zhecheng, Shangqiu. The government also forced Christians to renounce their beliefs by “preventing the children from going to school” and “revoking the 160-yuan monthly allowance for senior citizens.” The village leaders visited every household to confiscate the religious artifacts, warning the believers against teaching their children about religions. A local Christian said: “The village officials threatened to stop the monthly senior citizen allowance and the subsidies. The officials also threatened to fire civil servants in the household and mess with the family businesses. ”
On Easter, the officials from the Bureau of Religious Affairs and Bureau of Public Security in Kaifeng intruded the churches and evicted the Christians. On Sunday, the public security bureau hired security guards to block the church gate and examine every believer who enters, preventing them from bringing children. According to local Christians, the government officials of Anyang installed boards with “Minors are not allowed in the churches” around local religious venues and assigned specialized personnel to guard the gates. According to locals, the government dispatched security guards and auxiliary police to remove the desks, chairs and teaching equipment from kindergartens with religious backgrounds and seal the entrances.
During mid April, the government forcibly demolished the Church of Tan Village, Xicun Town, Gongyi. The believers tried to record the scene, but the officials took away the cameras. Meanwhile, the government of Hua County forbade the local believers to decorate a newly established church and sealed the gates. The government twice raided the Catholic Church of Gaoqiangying, Hua County, confiscated the religious artifacts and dismissed the church guards. On Thursday (17th), the Catholic church of Xin Village, Anyang was shut down, its church crosses demolished. On the same day (17th), the government forcibly removed the church cross from the Catholic church of Beixishang, New Jiaozuo District, confiscating the children’s Bibles and taking over the church finances.
According to local Christians, the police took away the prayers, psalms and copies of Bible from churches of Shuanghuai, Shutang, Jiayutang and Youfangtang in Zhengzhou. The police installed banners with “the anti-cult movement in Catholic churches in Qi County” and “No preaching to minors” on the walls and doors of local Catholic churches. In Puyang, the government did not only demolish the churches but also force the church leaders to reveal the personal information of the churchgoers, including ID number, occupation and family address. According to local believes, the local governments in Henan are conducting a full-on anti-religious movement, which is still escalating.
China Aid Association Special Correspondent Qiao Nong
英文翻译：
The local governments in Henen Province begin to remove crosses from Christian churches
(Henan-2018-4-19)Since the beginning of April, the government suppression of Christians and Catholics has intensified. The local governments shut down churches and forcibly removed church crosses. According to local Christians, the government officials visited every household, demanding the residents to turn in religious materials, decorations and banners with religious images. The officials also threatened to revoke the monthly allowance and subsidies for senior citizens if they remain Christians. Besides, the government begins to investigate and record the statistics of residents with religious beliefs in the countryside.
Several anonymous local Christians told the reporter that the local governments in Henan Province started to demolish churches and remove church crosses in large scale. For instance, the government removed the cross from the Jinzhuang Church of Guan Town, Zhecheng, Shangqiu. The government also forced Christians to renounce their beliefs by “preventing the children from going to school” and “revoking the 160-yuan monthly allowance for senior citizens.” The village leaders visited every household to confiscate the religious artifacts, warning the believers against teaching their children about religions. A local Christian said: “The village officials threatened to stop the monthly senior citizen allowance and the subsidies. The officials also threatened to fire civil servants in the household and mess with the family businesses. ”
On Easter, the officials from the Bureau of Religious Affairs and Bureau of Public Security in Kaifeng intruded the churches and evicted the Christians. On Sunday, the public security bureau hired security guards to block the church gate and examine every believer who enters, preventing them from bringing children. According to local Christians, the government officials of Anyang installed boards with “Minors are not allowed in the churches” around local religious venues and assigned specialized personnel to guard the gates. According to locals, the government dispatched security guards and auxiliary police to remove the desks, chairs and teaching equipment from kindergartens with religious backgrounds and seal the entrances.
During mid April, the government forcibly demolished the Church of Tan Village, Xicun Town, Gongyi. The believers tried to record the scene, but the officials took away the cameras. Meanwhile, the government of Hua County forbade the local believers to decorate a newly established church and sealed the gates. The government twice raided the Catholic Church of Gaoqiangying, Hua County, confiscated the religious artifacts and dismissed the church guards. On Thursday (17th), the Catholic church of Xin Village, Anyang was shut down, its church crosses demolished. On the same day (17th), the government forcibly removed the church cross from the Catholic church of Beixishang, New Jiaozuo District, confiscating the children’s Bibles and taking over the church finances.
According to local Christians, the police took away the prayers, psalms and copies of Bible from churches of Shuanghuai, Shutang, Jiayutang and Youfangtang in Zhengzhou. The police installed banners with “the anti-cult movement in Catholic churches in Qi County” and “No preaching to minors” on the walls and doors of local Catholic churches. In Puyang, the government did not only demolish the churches but also force the church leaders to reveal the personal information of the churchgoers, including ID number, occupation and family address. According to local believes, the local governments in Henan are conducting a full-on anti-religious movement, which is still escalating.
China Aid Association Special Correspondent Qiao Nong