Advocating the Religious Work Concept of “Protection, Management, Guidance, and Service”

The report of the 18th National Congress of the CPC emphasized the need to fully implement the Party’s basic policy on religious work, promote harmonious religious relations, and bring into play the positive role of religious figures and believers in promoting economic and social development. The general program of the “Constitution of the Communist Party of China (Amendment)” adopted at the 18th National Congress of the CPC states that it is necessary to “fully implement the Party’s basic policy on religious work and unite religious believers to contribute to economic and social development.” These important expositions reflect our Party’s scientific attitude toward religion and the increasing maturity and confidence of our Party’s religious work policies, providing direction for conducting religious work in the current and future periods.

党的十八大报告强调，要全面贯彻党的宗教工作基本方针，促进宗教关系和谐，发挥宗教界人士和信教群众在促进经济社会发展中的积极作用。党的十八大通过的《中国共产党章程（修正案）》总纲指出，要“全面贯彻党的宗教工作基本方针，团结信教群众为经济社会发展作贡献”。这些重要论述，体现了我们党对待宗教的科学态度，体现了我们党的宗教工作方针政策更趋成熟自信，为做好当前和今后一个时期的宗教工作指明了方向。

Since the 16th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Hu Jintao as General Secretary has attached great importance to religious work. In light of developments and changes in the domestic and international situation, it has deeply grasped the laws of religious development, put forward a series of innovative viewpoints, and adopted practical and effective measures to guide religious work in continuously achieving new accomplishments. It established the Party’s basic policy on religious work (namely, fully implementing the Party’s policy of freedom of religious belief, managing religious affairs according to law, adhering to the principle of independence and self-management, and actively guiding religion to adapt to the socialist society), which has become the action guide for religious work under the new circumstances. It elevated religious relations to one of the major relations involving the overall work of the Party and the state in the political and social fields, striving to achieve harmonious coexistence between religion and society, harmonious coexistence among different religions, and harmonious coexistence between believers and non-believers, as well as among believers of different religions. It promulgated and implemented the “Regulations on Religious Affairs” to advance the legalization of religious work. It supported religious circles in strengthening their own construction, cultivating a contingent of patriotic and religion-loving religious clergy, and giving play to the role of religious groups as a bridge linking religious circles and believers. It strengthened positive guidance, bringing into play the positive role of religious figures and believers in promoting economic development, cultural prosperity, and social harmony. It adhered to the principle of independence and self-management, resisted infiltration by foreign forces using religion, and carried out friendly foreign exchanges on religious matters on the basis of equality and friendship. China’s religious field has maintained a stable situation, with believers and non-believers jointly committed to reform and opening up and the modernization drive. Religious work has played an important role in promoting scientific development and social harmony.

党的十六大以来，以胡锦涛同志为总书记的党中央高度重视宗教工作，根据国内外形势的发展变化，深入把握宗教发展规律，提出一系列创新观点，采取切实有效举措，指导宗教工作不断取得新成就。确立了党的宗教工作基本方针（即全面贯彻党的宗教信仰自由政策，依法管理宗教事务，坚持独立自主自办的原则，积极引导宗教与社会主义社会相适应），成为新形势下宗教工作的行动指南。把宗教关系提升到政治领域和社会领域中涉及党和国家工作全局的重大关系之一，努力实现宗教与社会和谐相处，各宗教和谐相处，信教群众和不信教群众、信仰不同宗教群众和谐相处。颁布实施《宗教事务条例》，推进宗教工作法治化进程。支持宗教界加强自身建设，培养爱国爱教宗教教职人员队伍，发挥宗教团体联系宗教界和信教群众的纽带作用。加强正面引导，发挥宗教界人士和信教群众在促进经济发展、文化繁荣和社会和谐中的积极作用。坚持独立自主自办原则，抵御境外利用宗教进行的渗透，在平等友好基础上开展宗教方面的对外友好交流。我国宗教领域持续保持稳定局面，信教群众与不信教群众共同致力于改革开放和现代化事业，宗教工作在推动科学发展、促进社会和谐中发挥了重要作用。

Under the new circumstances, correctly understanding and properly handling religious issues and doing a good job in religious work are of great significance for promoting economic development and social harmony, promoting national unity and the reunification of the motherland, and promoting peaceful development and foreign relations. Guided by the spirit of the 18th National Congress of the CPC, we must fully implement the Party’s basic policy on religious work, thoroughly implement the “Regulations on Religious Affairs,” advocate the religious work concept of “protection, management, guidance, and service,” unite religious figures and believers, and work together to build a moderately prosperous society in all respects.

新形势下，正确认识和妥善处理宗教问题，做好宗教工作，对于促进经济发展与社会和谐，促进民族团结与祖国统一，促进和平发展与对外关系，都具有十分重要的意义。我们要在党的十八大精神指引下，全面贯彻党的宗教工作基本方针，深入落实《宗教事务条例》，倡导“保护、管理、引导、服务”的宗教工作理念，团结宗教界人士和信教群众，为全面建成小康社会共同努力。

First, we must conscientiously implement the Party’s policy of freedom of religious belief and effectively safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of religious circles. Protecting citizens’ freedom of religious belief is an important manifestation of our Party’s safeguarding of the people’s interests, respect for citizens’ rights, and protection of human rights. We must deeply understand the roots of religion’s existence and the laws of its development, prevent the use of administrative orders to handle religious issues, and refrain from treating religious figures and believers in a simple and crude manner. No matter what the circumstances, the policy of freedom of religious belief cannot be shaken, let alone changed. We must fully respect citizens’ freedom to choose to believe or not to believe in a religion, without interference or discrimination, and handle incidents that hurt the religious feelings of believers according to law. We must properly resolve contradictions arising from the implementation of the policy on religious property, handle disputes involving the demolition of religious property in urban construction according to law, and resolutely correct phenomena that infringe upon the legitimate rights and interests of religious circles. We must conscientiously implement the “Opinions on Handling Issues Related to the Management of Buddhist Monasteries and Taoist Temples” jointly issued by 10 departments, coordinate disputes over interests between religious activity sites and relevant sectors of society, and stop and correct phenomena such as religious activity sites being “contracted out” or “listed.” Adhering to a people-centered approach and putting service first, we must do a good job of including religious clergy in the social security system, help believers solve practical difficulties, enable them to share in the fruits of reform and development, and feel the care of the Party and government. Through implementing the Party’s policy of freedom of religious belief, we must unite the broad masses of believers and non-believers to the greatest extent possible and channel their wisdom and strength toward the common goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.

一要认真贯彻党的宗教信仰自由政策，切实维护宗教界合法权益。保护公民宗教信仰自由，是我们党维护人民利益、尊重公民权利、保护人权的重要体现。要深刻认识宗教的存在根源和发展规律，防止用行政命令办法处理宗教问题，不能用简单粗暴方式对待宗教人士和信教群众。不论遇到什么情况，宗教信仰自由政策都不能动摇，更不能改变。要充分尊重公民自主选择信仰宗教或者不信仰宗教的自由权利，不能干涉，不得歧视，依法处理伤害信教群众宗教感情事件。妥善解决落实宗教房产政策中出现的矛盾，依法处理城市建设中涉及拆迁宗教房产引发的纠纷，坚决纠正侵犯宗教界合法权益的现象。认真贯彻10部门联合下发的《关于处理涉及佛教寺庙、道教宫观管理有关问题的意见》，协调宗教活动场所与社会有关方面的利益纠纷，制止和纠正宗教活动场所“被承包”、“被上市”等现象。坚持以人为本、服务为先，做好宗教教职人员纳入社会保障工作，帮助信教群众解决实际困难，使他们共享改革发展成果，感受党和政府关怀。要通过贯彻党的宗教信仰自由政策，最大限度地把广大信教和不信教群众团结起来，把他们的智慧和力量凝聚到全面建成小康社会的共同目标上来。

Second, we must strengthen and innovate the management of religious affairs and continuously raise the level of legalization in religious work. Managing religious affairs according to law is an inevitable requirement of law-based governance and building a law-based government, and it is an effective way to handle complex religious issues under the new circumstances. We must place greater emphasis on the safeguarding role of the rule of law in the management of religious affairs, continue to advance the construction of a religious legal system, study new situations and new problems in the religious field in light of the new requirements for religious work arising from economic and social development, and promptly transform mature and effective policies and measures into regulations and rules. Focusing on key links such as the approval of the establishment of religious activity sites, the recognition and filing of religious clergy, and the financial supervision of religious activity sites, we must thoroughly implement the “Regulations on Religious Affairs” and continue to improve supporting measures. We must make efforts to advance law-based administration, strengthen the construction of the main body of religious law enforcement, improve law enforcement supervision and inspection, and enhance the ability of religious work cadres to handle religious affairs using legal thinking and legal methods. We must strengthen the publicity and education of religious laws and regulations, implement the “Sixth Five-Year Plan” for legal popularization, and deeply carry out activities such as “Policy and Regulation Study Month” to raise the national consciousness, civic consciousness, and legal awareness of religious figures and believers, so that they consciously fulfill the obligations stipulated by the Constitution and laws, learn to use legal means to safeguard their legitimate rights and interests, consciously resist illegal and unlawful activities using religion, and be both good believers and good citizens. We must give play to the self-discipline and coordination role of religious groups in the management of religious affairs, promote democratic management of religious activity sites, stimulate the enthusiasm and initiative of believers in participating in the management of religious affairs, and improve the religious affairs management system featuring leadership by Party committees, responsibility by the government, coordination by religious organizations, participation by believers, and guarantee by the rule of law. We must strengthen grassroots religious work, improve and promote the three-level religious work management network at the county, township, and village levels and the two-level religious work responsibility system at the township and village levels.

二要加强和创新宗教事务管理，不断提高宗教工作的法治化水平。依法管理宗教事务，是依法治国和建设法治政府的必然要求，是新形势下处理复杂宗教问题的有效途径。要更加重视法治在宗教事务管理中的保障作用，继续推进宗教法制建设，根据经济社会发展对宗教工作提出的新要求，研究宗教领域的新情况新问题，及时将成熟有效的政策措施转化为法规规章。抓住宗教活动场所设立审批、宗教教职人员认定备案、宗教活动场所财务监管等关键环节，深入贯彻《宗教事务条例》，继续完善配套办法。着力推进依法行政，加强宗教工作执法主体建设，完善执法监督和检查，提高宗教工作干部运用法治思维和法治方式处理宗教事务的能力和水平。加强宗教法制宣传教育，落实“六五”普法规划，深入开展“政策法规学习月”等活动，提高宗教界人士和信教群众的国家意识、公民意识和法律意识，自觉履行宪法和法律法规规定的义务，学会运用法律手段维护自身合法权益，自觉抵制利用宗教进行非法违法活动，既当好教徒，也当好公民。发挥宗教团体在宗教事务管理中的自律和协同作用，推进宗教活动场所民主管理，激发信教群众参与宗教事务管理的积极性和主动性，完善党委领导、政府负责、宗教组织协同、信教群众参与、法制保障的宗教事务管理体制。加强基层宗教工作，完善和推广县乡村三级宗教工作管理网络和乡村两级宗教工作责任制。

Third, we must adhere to the principle of independence and self-management and actively carry out friendly foreign exchanges on religion. China’s religious affairs are managed independently by Chinese religious believers and are not subject to the domination or control of foreign forces. This is based on the historical fact that China was long subjected to imperialist aggression and plunder, and some religions were controlled and exploited by imperialism, and it is an independent choice made by Chinese believers. For decades, independence and self-management, as an important principle for China’s religions in handling foreign relations, has ensured the healthy development of religious affairs, safeguarded national sovereignty and dignity, and gained the understanding and support of many foreign religious organizations and figures. We must continue to conduct in-depth education on the principle of independence and self-management among religious circles, guide them to deeply grasp the spiritual essence and rich connotation of the principle of independence and self-management, enhance their sense of responsibility for safeguarding national and ethnic interests, strengthen their consciousness and firmness in resisting infiltration, and consolidate the hard-won good situation of independence and self-management. We must respect the religious beliefs of foreigners in China, provide convenience for them to practice their religion, while requiring them not to engage in activities that violate Chinese law. We must encourage religious circles to carry out foreign exchanges on the basis of independence, equality, friendship, and mutual respect, continue to host the World Buddhist Forum and the International Taoist Forum well, strengthen bilateral religious exchanges, carry out dialogues on religious human rights, participate in the activities of international religious organizations, showcase China’s status of freedom of religious belief, establish a good image of China’s religions, and create a more favorable external environment.

三要坚持独立自主自办原则，积极开展宗教对外友好交往。中国的宗教事业由中国宗教信徒自主办理，不受外国势力支配和控制，是基于我国曾长期遭受帝国主义侵略和掠夺、有的宗教被帝国主义控制和利用的历史事实，由我国信教群众作出的自主选择。几十年来，独立自主自办作为我国各宗教处理对外关系的重要原则，保证了宗教事业健康发展，维护了国家主权和尊严，得到了许多国家宗教组织和人士的理解和支持。要在宗教界继续深入开展坚持独立自主自办原则教育，引导宗教界深刻把握独立自主自办原则的精神实质和丰富内涵，增强维护国家利益和民族利益的责任感，增强抵御渗透的自觉性和坚定性，巩固独立自主自办来之不易的良好局面。尊重在华外国人的宗教信仰，为他们过宗教生活提供便利，同时要求他们不得从事违反中国法律的活动。鼓励宗教界在独立自主、平等友好、互相尊重的基础上开展对外交往，继续办好世界佛教论坛和国际道教论坛，加强双边宗教交流，开展宗教人权对话，参与国际性宗教组织活动，展示我国宗教信仰自由状况，树立我国宗教的良好形象，营造更加良好的外部环境。

Fourth, we must support religious groups in strengthening their own construction and guide religions to adapt to socialist society. Actively guiding religions to adapt to socialist society is a scientific conclusion drawn from China’s basic national conditions and based on summarizing successful experiences in religious work. We must adhere to political unity and cooperation and mutual respect in beliefs, striving to enable the broad masses of religious believers to reach consensus on major issues such as supporting the leadership of the Communist Party of China and the socialist system, loving the motherland, safeguarding national unity, and promoting social harmony, thereby enhancing the Party’s appeal and cohesion among religious believers. We support the development of religious thought construction, encouraging Buddhism and Taoism to conduct scripture lectures and exchanges, Islam to carry out “scripture interpretation” work, Catholicism to advance democratic management of the church, and Christianity to conduct theological thought construction. In accordance with the development requirements of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics and in line with the healthy development needs of religions, we should interpret religious doctrines in a manner that meets the requirements of social progress, excavate content within religious doctrines, religious ethics, and religious culture that is conducive to social harmony, progress of the times, and healthy civilization, establish a religious thought system that conforms to basic religious teachings, inherits fine religious traditions, and adapts to the actual development and social progress of China, adhere to correct faith and correct practice, oppose bigotry and fanaticism, and resist fallacies and heresies. We support religious groups in establishing and improving rules and regulations, improving work style and working methods, enhancing their capacity for self-education, self-management, self-adjustment, and self-improvement, establishing authority among religious believers, and playing a bridging role in connecting religious figures and religious believers. We deeply study the characteristics and patterns of the growth of patriotic religious figures, and in accordance with the requirements of “being politically reliable, having scholarly attainments, and being morally convincing to the masses,” we intensify training efforts to cultivate a contingent of religious clergy who love the country and their religion. We support religious groups in making religious colleges and seminaries important bases for cultivating patriotic religious figures, important positions for correctly interpreting religious doctrines, and important platforms for training religious clergy.

四要支持宗教界加强自身建设，引导宗教与社会主义社会相适应。积极引导宗教与社会主义社会相适应，是从我国基本国情出发，在总结宗教工作成功经验基础上作出的科学论断。要坚持政治上团结合作、信仰上互相尊重，努力使广大信教群众在拥护中国共产党的领导和社会主义制度、热爱祖国、维护祖国统一、促进社会和谐等重大问题上取得共识，增强党在信教群众中的吸引力和凝聚力。支持开展宗教思想建设，鼓励佛教、道教开展讲经交流，伊斯兰教开展“解经”工作，天主教推进民主办教，基督教开展神学思想建设，按照中国特色社会主义事业发展要求，顺应宗教健康发展需要，对宗教教义作出符合社会进步要求的阐释，挖掘宗教教义、宗教道德、宗教文化中有利于社会和谐、时代进步、健康文明的内容，建立符合宗教基本教义、继承宗教优良传统、适应中国社会发展进步实际的宗教思想体系，坚持正信正行，反对偏执狂热，抵制歪理邪说。支持宗教团体建立健全规章制度，改进工作作风和工作方法，增强自我教育、自我管理、自我调整、自我提高的能力，树立在信教群众中的威信，发挥联系宗教界人士和信教群众的纽带作用。深入研究爱国宗教人士成长的特点和规律，按照“政治上靠得住、学识上有造诣、品德上能服众”的要求，加大培养工作力度，造就一支爱国爱教的宗教教职人员队伍。支持宗教团体把宗教院校办成培养爱国宗教人士的重要基地、正确阐释宗教教义的重要阵地、培训宗教教职人员的重要平台。

Fifth, we must vigorously advocate the concept of religious harmony and strive to promote harmonious religious relations. Promoting harmonious religious relations is an inherent requirement for building a harmonious society. We must advocate the concept of religious harmony, deeply carry out activities to create harmonious temples and churches, implement the “Common Declaration on Advocating Religious Harmony” issued by China’s five major religions in 2011, and strive to build harmonious religious relations. We promote harmony within religions, achieving coordination and smoothness in internal religious relations and building harmonious religions. We promote harmony between religions, supporting each religion in carrying forward the fine traditions of mutual respect, mutual tolerance, and common progress, strengthening dialogue and exchanges, enhancing mutual understanding, and achieving a good situation of pluralistic coexistence and harmonious symbiosis. We promote harmony in the relationship between religions and society, guiding religions to actively adapt to society, consciously integrate into society, and actively serve society, so that religious activities embody the principle of correct faith, comply with policies and laws, promote public order and good customs, and become positive factors for enhancing social harmony. We promote harmony in the relationship between politics and religion, adhere to the principle of separation of politics and religion, ensure that all religions carry out activities within the legal framework, consciously accept government management, do not interfere with the implementation of state functions such as judiciary, administration, and education, participate in national political life in an orderly manner according to law, and actively fulfill social responsibilities.

五要大力倡导宗教和谐理念，着力促进宗教关系和谐。促进宗教关系和谐是构建和谐社会的应有之义。要倡导宗教和谐理念，深入开展和谐寺观教堂创建活动，落实我国五大宗教2011年发表的《倡导宗教和谐共同宣言》，努力构建和谐宗教关系。促进宗教内部和谐，实现宗教内部关系协调和顺，建设和谐宗教。促进宗教之间的和谐，支持各宗教弘扬彼此尊重、相互包容、共同进步的优良传统，加强对话交流，增进相互理解，实现多元共存、和合共生的良好局面。促进宗教与社会关系的和谐，引导宗教主动适应社会，自觉融入社会，积极服务社会，使宗教活动体现正信原则、符合政策法律、促进公序良俗，成为增进社会和谐的积极因素。促进政教关系的和谐，坚持政教分离原则，各宗教坚持在法律范围内开展活动，自觉接受政府管理，不干预司法、行政、教育等国家职能的实施，依法有序参与国家政治生活，主动履行社会责任。

Sixth, we must fully leverage the positive role of religions and contribute to building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. Religious figures and religious believers are a positive force in building socialism with Chinese characteristics. Bringing their role in promoting economic and social development into full play is a fundamental requirement of religious work under the new situation. We must encourage the broad masses of religious believers to work diligently in their respective positions, devote themselves to creation, and practice their faith with outstanding achievements. We support religious circles in exploring content within religious ethics that aligns with socialist morality, such as abandoning evil and promoting good, and playing a positive role in observing social ethics, professional ethics, family virtues, and personal morals. We guide religious figures to correctly view the adjustment of interests in reform and development, assist the Party and government in coordinating relations and resolving conflicts, help religious believers soothe their souls, stabilize their emotions, regulate their psychology, and cultivate a self-respecting, self-confident, rational, peaceful, and positive mindset. We support religious circles in promoting fine traditional Chinese culture, excavating excellent traditional cultural resources of religions, organizing and publishing religious cultural classics, protecting religious cultural relics, inheriting religious intangible cultural heritage, and conducting foreign exchanges of religious culture. We support religious circles in engaging in public welfare and charitable activities, earnestly implementing the “Opinions on Encouraging and Regulating Religious Circles’ Engagement in Public Welfare and Charitable Activities” issued by six central departments, carrying out “Religious Charity Week” activities, and promoting the healthy development of religious public welfare and charitable undertakings. We support religious circles in mainland China in deepening exchanges and cooperation with religious circles in Hong Kong and Macao, and support religious circles in mainland China in conducting friendly exchanges with religious circles in the Taiwan region, enhancing understanding among people across the four places, and jointly participating in building the common homeland of the Chinese nation. We encourage religious circles to oppose and resist illegal activities that use religion to harm national and people’s interests, to struggle against separatist and destructive activities using religion by the Dal

六要充分发挥宗教的积极作用，为全面建成小康社会作贡献。宗教界人士和信教群众是建设中国特色社会主义的积极力量，发挥他们在促进经济社会发展中的积极作用，是新形势下宗教工作的根本要求。要鼓励广大信教群众在各自岗位上勤奋工作，致力创造，以优异业绩践行信仰。支持宗教界发掘宗教道德中弃恶扬善等与社会主义道德相契合的内容，在遵行社会公德、职业道德、家庭美德、个人品德方面发挥积极作用。引导宗教界人士正确对待改革发展中的利益调整，协助党和政府做好协调关系、化解矛盾的工作，帮助信教群众慰藉心灵，稳定情绪，调节心理，培育自尊自信、理性平和、积极向上的心态。支持宗教界弘扬中华优秀传统文化，挖掘宗教优秀传统文化资源，整理出版宗教文化典籍，保护宗教文物，传承宗教类非物质文化遗产，开展宗教文化对外交流。支持宗教界从事公益慈善活动，认真贯彻中央六部门《关于鼓励和规范宗教界从事公益慈善活动的意见》，开展“宗教慈善周”活动，促进宗教公益慈善事业健康发展。支持内地宗教界与港澳地区宗教界深化交流合作，支持大陆宗教界与台湾地区宗教界开展友好往来，增进两岸四地人民之间的了解和理解，一道参与建设中华民族共同家园。鼓励宗教界反对和抵制利用宗教进行危害国家和人民利益的非法活动，同达赖集团和“三股势力”利用宗教进行的分裂破坏活动作斗争，维护社会稳定、民族团结和祖国统一。

(Author: Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Director of the State Administration for Religious Affairs)

（作者：国家宗教事务局党组书记、局长）

Online Editor: Jia Fei

网络编辑：嘉扉