Priest's labour camp sentence sparks Catholic protest

BEIJING: A religious association protested yesterday after a Chinese priest was condemned to three years in labour camp for his membership of the underground Catholic church.

The US-based Cardinal Kung Foundation made public the April 13 sentencing of Father Lu Genju, who it said was jailed for taking orders without the approval of the official Chinese Catholic church. ``Since 1998, Lu Genju has many times conducted illegal evangelical activities in Wanghuitong village [in Hebei province], seriously creating social disturbance,'' the sentencing order read.