A bishop from China's underground Catholic Church and two other priests were arrested by police last week, a Catholic organisation said yesterday.
The US-based Cardinal Kung Foundation in a statement said the 81-year-old Bishop Zeng Jingmu of Yujiang was arrested on Thursday together with Father Liao Haiqing and another priest.
The foundation did not say why they were arrested.
Bishop Zeng, who spent a total of 30 years in prison between 1955 and 1995 for his membership of the "Silent Church", had been under house arrest for the past 27 months following his release from his latest three-year stint in prison.
China prohibits people from practising their religious beliefs outside state-sanctioned churches.
The foundation also said an 82-year-old priest, Father Ye Gongfeng, was "savagely tortured to unconsciousness" and lay in a coma for 17 hours after 70 police surrounded his home last Monday.
During August at least five priests and five nuns were arrested in Fujian province but subsequently released, the foundation added. One priest, Father Lin Rengui, was beaten so severely by police while in detention that he vomited blood.
A church in Fujian province, which had registered with the authorities, was raided on August 8th by police who destroyed its altar. Those members of the congregation who tried to flee were chased and beaten, many of whom were injured.
The information comes following an unofficial visit to Beijing by one of Pope John Paul II's closest aides, Cardinal Roger Etchegaray.
Cardinal Etchegaray left Beijing on Saturday after meeting senior members of China's official Catholic Church.
The official Catholic Church has around four million members and does not recognise the authority of the Pope. The underground church, which is loyal to the Vatican, has about 10 million followers.
The US State Department said earlier this month the Chinese government's respect for religious freedom had deteriorated during the past year as the authorities imposed new restrictions, closed houses of worship and persecuted members of some unregistered groups.