Two priests of the underground Catholic Church in China have been detained by authorities in Hebei Province.

One priest was reportedly taken away by personnel of the United Front Work Department on Oct. 24. A source said that the priest had been placed in detention and forced to study newly revised regulations on religious practice and to recognize the state-controlled Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CCPA).

The government officials were said to have warned that the Catholic Church in China was required to be autonomous from the Vatican, withstanding a provisional Vatican-Beijing agreement signed two months ago.

Another priest, on Oct. 13, was placed under home arrest so he could be indoctrinated on government policies.

Meanwhile a source said that in a village of Xuanhua Diocese, families were told that they would be fined and detained for five days if they received priests in their homes.

In addition, the Jingkai District Bureau of Ethnic and Religious Affairs Sept. 25 issued a notice banning what it described as illegal religious activities. It was reported that more than a dozen religious venues of the underground church in the province had been recently seized.

A church member lamented that restrictions on Catholics had intensified since the China-Vatican agreement was signed contrary to its avowedly “friendly spirit.”

A Hebei underground Catholic named Paul told ucanews.com that most underground church members would not accept the government’s patriotic association, the CCPA.