Underground Chinese bishop dies

Xie Shinguang, a bishop of China's underground Roman Catholic Church who spent 28 years in prison because of his faith, died on Thursday, Vatican Radio has reported. Monsignor Xie was first arrested in 1955, and went on to serve four separate prison terms in 1955, again from 1958-1980, from 1984-1987 and finally from 1990-1992. A Vatican spokesman said he a "courageous witness to Christ" and was kept under surveillance by the authorities until his death. Bishop Xie was ordained in 1949 and became a bishop 1984. His diocese in Fujian province has around 75,000 Catholics.