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On Jan. 8, the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate published the following letter from Anthony J. Limberakis, MD, Archon Grand Aktouarios and National Commander:
“In keeping with our indefatigable commitment to defend religious freedom worldwide, the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate (AEP) deplore the escalating campaign in the People’s Republic of China to destroy religious organizations that are outside the state’s control, and call upon the Chinese government to allow its people to exercise the sacred right to worship according to the dictates of their conscience without fear of punishment from the state.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, January 8, 2026 that Chinese officials are “widening a crackdown on Christian groups, this week detaining church leaders in southwestern China.” This is part of a larger campaign to ensure that the only religious organizations that are operating in the entirety of the People’s Republic are approved by the state and under its active surveillance; all others are to be crushed.
Accordingly, the Journal noted that “the roundup of preachers and congregants of Early Rain Covenant Church, a prominent unsanctioned Protestant group in Sichuan province, shows that China has been undeterred in pursuing its campaign despite calls by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio for Beijing to allow its people to worship without fear of retribution.”
Bob Fu of ChinaAid, a religious freedom advocacy organization, explained: “The goal is to stamp out all Christianity if you don’t totally surrender to the extreme Sinicization effort, which means surrendering your doctrine, from teaching to your church structure. It’s indoctrination of the [party’s] ideology into their faith.”
There are about 15,000 Chinese citizens who are Orthodox Christians, as well as many Russian and Ukrainian Orthodox Christians inside the country. This crackdown ultimately affects them as well as believers from other faith traditions, for the Orthodox Church cannot and will not ever surrender its doctrine and allow non-Christian authorities to alter it.
His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has emphasized the “inherent rights of all human beings and their aspiration and rights of religious freedom should be important components to sustain tolerance among all God’s creation.” The Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate stand with His All-Holiness and urge the government of the People’s Republic of China to respect this fundamental right. We further respectfully request that the United Nations take due note of the plight of these Christians within the People’s Republic of China, and take effective steps to protect them.”
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