Beijing, Jan. 24 -- Chinese state-run Catholic bodies have introduced new internal regulations compelling Catholic clergy across China to hand over their passports and other travel documents, placing overseas travel under tight approval procedures and mandatory post-trip reporting, according to a report by The Epoch Times (TET).

The measures were jointly approved on December 16 by the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CCPA) and the Bishops' Conference of the Catholic Church in China (BCCCC), both of which operate under the supervision of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The rules require centralised custody and authorisation of all exit and entry documents belonging to Catholic clergy, including bishops, priests, deacons and nuns...