New Chinese Decree Tells Religious Leaders to ‘Support the Communist Party’ 

The Chinese government is implementing a new decree on May 1 that will require all religious leaders to “follow the lead of and support the Communist Party.”

The decree, "Measures on the Management of Religious Professionals," states that the preaching and teaching by religious professionals must in no way endanger China’s national security, promote extremism or divide the country. It also requires religious professionals to resist the infiltration of foreign forces through religion. Religious leaders who violate the new decree will be subject to administrative sanctions and criminal charges. “This decree goes against our religious beliefs, and the separation of politics and religion,” said Xu Yonghai, an elder at the Divine Love Fellowship of the Beijing House Church. “There will be a further narrowing of religious freedom and more severe crackdowns on believers.”