China Stops Catholic faithfuls from attending Korea papal event

Pope Francis' telegram of goodwill to Chinese leaders as he flew over their airspace was quickly followed Thursday by a reminder of the restrictions that Catholics face in the country.

About half of the 100 Chinese set to attend a Catholic youth event in South Korea during the pontiff's five-day visit were barred from traveling, Heo Young-yeop, spokesman for the committee organizing the papal visit, told reporters.

"I believe some of the Chinese youth have arrived, but, as far as we know, not all of them could make it … because of the complicated situation within China," Heo was quoted as saying on the committee's website.

"We are extremely sad about that," he said, declining to give additional details for fear of endangering the safety of those barred.

Pope to Koreas; Avoid 'fruitless' shows of force

Some of the Chinese Catholics were stopped at airports and prevented from passing through customs, Ren Dahai, director of a Catholic charity in north Hebei province, told Reuters.

"This seems to me like it's dependent on the local government and the ideas and practices of local officials," he said. "Some places will be stricter, while some will be looser."

Early Thursday, Francis — who landed in Seoul on Thursday for a five-day visit to South Korea — sent a telegram of greetings to Chinese President Xi Jinping as his plane flew over northeastern China, a custom popes do with any country they fly over in accordance with Vatican protocol.