Church In China Still Growing Despite Persecution

10/11/2011 China (CathNews) - Many of China’s churches are full of worshippers every Sunday. The number of Christians are multiplying, although statistics, official and unofficial, fail to give a reliable image of what seems to be a phenomenon of extraordinary proportions. So much so that one wonders, as did a recent survey by the BBC, whether this wave of spirituality isn’t actually provoked by the unbridled capitalism implemented by the regime after decades of ideological repression.

With regards to the figures, the debate could continue indefinitely; and it is actually impossible to say how many followers of Christ there are, divided into different denominations, in the Empire of the Dragon. The government says there are about 25 million: 18 million Protestants of various affiliations, and six million Catholics. But the figures provided by independent observers and analysts suggest that Beijing’s figures fall well below actual numbers which are estimated at being up to 60 million.

This may not be a great figure in the sea of Chinese, but they are still a significant respected minority; the entire population of a country like Italy. Some say, in a provocative manner, that on Sundays there are more faithful present at the various Christian celebrations in China, than in churches throughout Europe. The new converts pass transversely through all the different segments of the complex Chinese society: from the peasants in remote rural areas to the young businessmen of the booming metropolises(Source).