BISHOP KUNG IS NOW THE No. 1 TARGET

Spectacular 'trial ' in China?
NOW that all hut a few of the foreign missionaries have been expelled from China, a Chinese Bishop has been singled out as the No. 1 target of the new propaganda barrage against the Church.
He is Bishop Ignatius Rung of Shanghai, who was arrested on September 8 with abouc a score of priests and hundreds of laymen.
Reports in official Communist newspapers in Shanghai indicate that the Communists may be pre. paring the ground for a spectacular " trial."
According to the newspapers, Bishop Kung, aged 54, has been jailed on six charges. These are; 1. Possessing arms " for assassination."
2. Using Catholic organisations as "islands of freedom " to oppose the country.
3. Advising Catholics "not to divide their land, and not to accuse landlords during public trials." 4. Celebiating a special Mass for those arrested during previous Red Purges.
5. Listening to the " Voice of America " and translating the broadcasts into Chinese.
6. Conducting a widespread espionage activity.
According to three recentlyexpelled Belgian missionaries now in Hong Kong. other charges were made against Bishop Kong at a meeting of all Chinese priests in the Shanghai diocese called by the Communists on the day after the Bishop's arrest.
These included denying the sacraments to " patriotic Catholics "members of the so-called Independent Church-and refusing to allow priests to take indoctrination courses.
The priests reported also that the Communists assembled some 15.000 Catholics at a mass meeting intended to register public approval of the arrests of Bishop Kong and the others.