Comment on the Report of the Nanjing Municipal Committee on Religious Reform Work (September 8, 1951)

Comrade Qiaomu:
This document is very good. Please print and distribute it to all Central Bureaus, Sub-bureaus, provincial, municipal, and district Party committees, and their organs managing religious affairs, and add a few introductory remarks before the text.
Mao Zedong
September 8
(Published based on the manuscript.)

**Note**
Qiaomu refers to Hu Qiaomu, then Deputy Director of the Propaganda Department of the CPC Central Committee and Secretary to Mao Zedong and the Central Political Bureau.
Refers to the report of the CPC Nanjing Municipal Committee on religious reform work dated August 20, 1951. The report stated: Since April, we have successively launched accusation movements in various Christian churches, held anti-drug exhibitions at the Jinling Men's and Women's Theological Seminaries, and continued with a month-long political study to eliminate imperialist ideological influences. Subsequently, we held two consecutive summer camps for young Christian students and established the city-wide Christian Student Three-Self Reform Movement Promotion Association. In mid-July, relying on progressive believers as the foundation, plus some working personnel, we organized religious work teams under the leadership of the Religious Affairs Office, dispatched them to various urban districts, went deep into various churches, and generally launched the Three-Self Reform study and church democratic reform movement, centered on individual churches and involving over eighty percent of believers. The work steps were: first, have the work teams directly meet with all believers of each church, repeatedly conduct education on anti-imperialist patriotism and implementing the Three-Self Reform, inspire believers to expose and accuse the dark, arbitrary, and reactionary facts of the churches, and foster a sense of ownership among believers, thereby unfolding a direct struggle between believers and the clergy class to establish the advantage of progressive masses within the church. Then, the Religious Affairs Office convened forums for church personnel (held three times), elucidating the important relationship between establishing a democratic style in the church and the church's future, supporting the demands for democratic reform, and emphasizing that democratic reform is an important step for pastors and believers to unite as one, resolutely defeat the imperialist offensive, and strive for the church's survival, in order to reduce opposition and resistance from upper-class elements.
On September 13, 1951, the CPC Central Committee forwarded this report by the Nanjing Municipal Committee and added the following comment: "To all Central Bureaus, Sub-bureaus, provincial, municipal, and district Party committees: This report by the Nanjing Municipal Committee is very good. The experience regarding the methods and steps for conducting Christian work is well worth studying by all localities. It is hereby printed and distributed for your study. Attention is requested from local Propaganda Departments, United Front Work Departments, Public Security Departments, Foreign Affairs Offices, and Religious Affairs Offices."