国内英语新闻:New leadership of Chinese Catholics elected at national congress

BEIJING, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- The new leadership of Chinese Catholics was elected during the 8th national congress of Chinese Catholics which concluded here Thursday after three days of meeting.

Bishop Fang Xingyao was elected chairman of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CCPA), while Bishop Ma Yinglin will head the Bishops' Conference of the Catholic Church in China (BCCCC).

Also, Liu Bainian and Jin Luxian were elected as honorary chairmen of both the CCPA and BCCCC.

Further, vice chairmen and consultants to the two Chinese Catholic organizations were elected at the conference.

Jia Qinglin (C), chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, poses for a group photo with the new leadership of Chinese Catholics in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 9, 2010.

The congress approved the CCPA and BCCCC reports on the past six years of work, as well as revisions of the charters of the CCPA and BCCCC.

The 8th national congress of Chinese Catholics, held since Tuesday, was attended by 341 representatives from across China, including 64 bishops, 162 clergy, 24 nuns and 91 lay members.

Jia Qinglin, China's top political advisor, met Thursday with delegates who attended the 8th national congress of Chinese Catholics.

Congratulating the participants on the successful holding of the congress, Jia praised the efforts Chinese Catholics have made in serving China's reform and development and preventing infiltration of foreign hostile elements, according to a statement Xinhua received.

Jia, who is Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), urged the religious clerics to keep vigilant and prevent foreign hostile elements from using religion to interfere with China's domestic affairs and to safeguard the interests of the entire nation.

He called on Catholics to contribute more to China's scientific development and transformation of its economic growth mode, and play an active role in safeguarding social stability and harmony.