More than 70 police officers forcibly destroyed the Liangwang Catholic Church in China’s Shandong province, transforming the building into a pile of rubble as congregation members watched helplessly.
On Tuesday, 40 officials paraded into the chapel without prior notice, confiscating three church leaders’ mobile phones and demanded everyone exit the premises.
Later, 30 more workers came in armed with bulldozers and pickaxes, before destroying altars, benches and furnishings, knocking the church building to the ground.
Officials claimed the demolition was part of a zoning plan to build new residential homes and a railway station.
They also said that the church was no longer allowed to stand, even though records show it had been registered since 2006.
Shocking pictures taken by members of the congregation show the aftermath of the demolition, comparing it to photos of how the building used to look like.
Chinese Christian Fellowship of Righteousness, a group that exposes Christian persecution in China, also posted images of the building’s aftermath on its page.
The Chinese Communist Party have destroyed a number of churches across the country, claiming that the land was required for urban zoning or commercial purposes.
In December 2017, a Catholic building near Xi‘an in Shaanxi province was demolished even though church officials provided proof of permission allowing them to legally use the land.
ICC Regional Manager Gina Goh said: “The disproportionate manpower used to demolish this church goes to show that China is fearful of Christians.
“The government knew that the demolition in the name of urban zoning would be met with resistance, so it ensured success by taking extreme measures.
“Despite their best efforts to intimidate the Church with actions like this, the government cannot destroy the faith and resilience of Chinese Christians.”
In a separate incident, the Golden Lampstand Church in Linfen was also destroyed by officials on 9 January this year.
ChinaAid President and founder Bob Fu said: “The repeated persecution of Golden Lampstand Church demonstrates that the Chinese government has no respect for religious freedom or human rights.
“ChinaAid calls on the international community to openly condemn the bombing of this church building and urge the Chinese government to fairly compensate the Christians who paid for it and immediately cease these alarming demolitions of churches.”
Beijing has taken harsh measures to stop the spread of Christianity, even banning children from attending church services.
Officials have been seen tearing down posters of Jesus and replacing them with Chinese President Xi Jinping.