State Administration for Religious Affairs
Encyclopedia
The State Administration for Religious Affairs (Simplified Chinese: 国家宗教事务局; Traditional Chinese: 國家宗教事務局; Pinyin
: Guójiā Zōngjiào Shìwùjú), abbreviated SARA ' onMouseout='HidePop("6196")' href="/topics/Pinyin">Pinyin
: Zōngjiàojú), is a functioning department under the State Council
which oversees religious affairs and issues for the People's Republic of China
. It is closely connected with the United Front Work Department
, and is charged with overseeing the operations of China's five officially sanctioned religious organizations: the Buddhist Association of China
, Chinese Taoist Association, Islamic Association of China, Three-Self Patriotic Movement
and Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association
.
Ye Xiaowen
' onMouseout='HidePop("99911")' href="/topics/Pinyin">Pinyin
: Yè Xiǎowén) directed the SARA from 1995 to 2009, an eventful term. He oversaw the ban against Falun Gong
in 1999, issued the State Religious Affairs Bureau Order No. 5
, which furthered state control over reincarnation
s in Tibetan Buddhism
, and attempted to wipe out Chinese Catholicism
loyal to Rome
(which he considered "colonial") and not to the official Catholic Church in China
, according to the Roman Catholic Church
affiliated Asia News. After Ye was promoted to the Secretary of the CPC Committee at the Central Institute of Socialism, Former Deputy Director Wang Zuoan was promoted to Director, who is not expected to affect changes in policy.
Deputies:
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
: Guójiā Zōngjiào Shìwùjú), abbreviated SARA ' onMouseout='HidePop("6196")' href="/topics/Pinyin">Pinyin
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
: Zōngjiàojú), is a functioning department under the State Council
State Council of the People's Republic of China
The State Council of the People's Republic of China , which is largely synonymous with the Central People's Government after 1954, is the chief administrative authority of the People's Republic of China. It is chaired by the Premier and includes the heads of each governmental department and agency...
which oversees religious affairs and issues for the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. It is closely connected with the United Front Work Department
United Front Work Department
The United Front Work Department of the People's Republic of China is an agency under the command of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. Its main function is to manage relations with the non-Communist Party elite, including individuals and organizations holding social,...
, and is charged with overseeing the operations of China's five officially sanctioned religious organizations: the Buddhist Association of China
Buddhist Association of China
The Buddhist Association of China is a major organization of Chinese Buddhism, which serves as the official supervisory organ of Buddhism in the People's Republic of China...
, Chinese Taoist Association, Islamic Association of China, Three-Self Patriotic Movement
Three-Self Patriotic Movement
The Three-Self Patriotic Movement or TSPM is a state-controlled Protestant church in the People's Republic of China...
and Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association
Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association
The Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association , abbreviated CPA, CPCA, or CCPA, is an association of people, established in 1957 by the People's Republic of China's Religious Affairs Bureau to exercise state supervision over mainland China's Catholics...
.
Ye Xiaowen
Ye Xiaowen
Ye Xiaowen is a Chinese politician who held various top posts relating to state regulation of religion from 1995 to 2009.Born in 1950 in Ningxiang County in Hunan, Ye became one of the first students of sociology at the Guizhou Academy of Social Sciences after a ban before China's reform and...
' onMouseout='HidePop("99911")' href="/topics/Pinyin">Pinyin
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
: Yè Xiǎowén) directed the SARA from 1995 to 2009, an eventful term. He oversaw the ban against Falun Gong
Falun Gong
Falun Gong is a spiritual discipline first introduced in China in 1992 by its founder, Li Hongzhi, through public lectures. It combines the practice of meditation and slow-moving qigong exercises with the moral philosophy...
in 1999, issued the State Religious Affairs Bureau Order No. 5
State Religious Affairs Bureau Order No. 5
State Religious Affairs Bureau Order No. 5 is an order from the State Administration for Religious Affairs, the People's Republic of China's agency charged with keeping religion under state control. Order No...
, which furthered state control over reincarnation
Reincarnation
Reincarnation best describes the concept where the soul or spirit, after the death of the body, is believed to return to live in a new human body, or, in some traditions, either as a human being, animal or plant...
s in Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is the state religion of Bhutan...
, and attempted to wipe out Chinese Catholicism
Roman Catholicism in China
Roman Catholicism in China has a long and complicated history...
loyal to Rome
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
(which he considered "colonial") and not to the official Catholic Church in China
Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association
The Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association , abbreviated CPA, CPCA, or CCPA, is an association of people, established in 1957 by the People's Republic of China's Religious Affairs Bureau to exercise state supervision over mainland China's Catholics...
, according to the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
affiliated Asia News. After Ye was promoted to the Secretary of the CPC Committee at the Central Institute of Socialism, Former Deputy Director Wang Zuoan was promoted to Director, who is not expected to affect changes in policy.
Administration
Director:- Wang Zuo'an ' onMouseout='HidePop("13915")' href="/topics/Pinyin">PinyinPinyinPinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
: Wáng Zuò'ān)
Deputies:
- Qi Xiaofei ' onMouseout='HidePop("11402")' href="/topics/Pinyin">PinyinPinyinPinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
: Qí Xiǎofēi) - Jiang Jianyong ' onMouseout='HidePop("10145")' href="/topics/Pinyin">PinyinPinyinPinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
: Jiǎng Jiānyǒng)