Restrictions on religious practice for Catholics in China are expanding well beyond church premises, now reaching into everyday expressions of faith — including access to prayer books, participation in pilgrimages, online rosary broadcasts and funeral rites, according to a report published by Myanmar media outlet Mizzima News.

Restrictions Reaching Into Ordinary Life

'A Bible removed from a church shop, a pilgrimage cancelled after a priest receives new instructions, a prayer broadcast that suddenly disappears from the internet: for Catholics in China, restrictions on religious practice are increasingly being felt in the ordinary details of spiritual life,' the report stated.

In Shanghai, reports of a ban on Catholic funeral rites at city funeral homes have added what observers describe as a particularly troubling dimension to the broader pattern — extending the reported curbs beyond worship and religious education to ceremonies surrounding death. The allegations were drawn from testimonies given by Catholics who spoke on condition of anonymity to US-based outlet The Epoch Times.

State Supervision and the 'Sinicisation' Policy

Although China's Communist Party (CCP) officially recognises Catholicism as one of five authorised religions, its practice remains subject to extensive political oversight. Religious institutions must operate within a regulatory framework that subjects registration, clergy appointments, publications and organised activities to government scrutiny.

Under President Xi Jinping, the policy of 'sinicisation' has further emphasised that religious beliefs and institutions must conform to the political priorities and cultural framework defined by the state, the report noted. The government recognises the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, while Catholic communities functioning outside the state-approved framework have reportedly come under increased pressure.

Human Rights Watch Findings

Citing an April 2026 report by Human Rights Watch (HRW), the Mizzima News report said Chinese authorities had stepped up surveillance, ideological scrutiny and travel restrictions targeting Catholics. The HRW findings also documented pressure on underground clergy and communities that refuse to operate within the state-controlled church structure, including alleged arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances and house arrests.

The report acknowledged that 'the allegations are difficult to verify independently in every instance, but they raise questions about the practical space available for Catholic worship in a country where religious organisations operate under close state supervision.'

A Wider Struggle Over Church Governance

Analysts cited in the report describe the curbs on everyday religious activities as part of a broader contest over the governance and leadership of the Catholic Church in China. The state-imposed boundaries, the report concluded, 'are becoming more intrusive, reaching further into the private and communal dimensions of religious life.'

The developments add fresh scrutiny to China's record on religious freedoms at a time when international human rights bodies continue to monitor the situation closely.