Chinese Catholics reportedly face growing restrictions on religious activities in Shanghai and Beijing, including access to religious books, pilgrimages, online prayer services, and Catholic funeral rites. In Shanghai, the religious-items store at Xujiahui Cathedral has reportedly stopped selling the Bible, theology books, and commonly used Catholic prayer books. Similar reports indicate that some Beijing churches have also removed Bibles from sale.
Restrictions reportedly extend to collective pilgrimages, with a Beijing-area priest saying that parish groups now need government approval to travel to churches in other regions. Catholic online activities have also been affected. A Chinese Catholic platform reportedly stopped livestreaming the Rosary from Lourdes in December 2025, cutting off an important source of religious content, particularly for older Catholics.
On August 18, a Shanghai Catholic reportedly said that funeral homes across the city had stopped allowing Catholic funeral rites beginning this month, suggesting that the restrictions may now extend beyond religious activities during believers’ lives to Catholic end-of-life and funeral practices.
Source: Epoch Times, August 20, 2026
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/26/8/20/n14833207.htm