State Administration for Religious Affairs Order No. 15: The Measures for the Administration of Religious Clergy were reviewed and adopted by the State Administration for Religious Affairs in accordance with the prescribed procedure on January 8, 2021, are hereby promulgated, and shall take effect on May 1, 2021.
Director: Wang Zuo’an
January 18, 2021
Chapter 1 General Provisions
Article 1 These Measures are formulated in accordance with the Regulations on Religious Affairs in order to regulate the administration of religious clergy and protect their lawful rights and interests.
Article 2 “Religious clergy,” as used in these Measures, means persons who have lawfully obtained the qualification of religious clergy and may engage in religious affairs.
Article 3 Religious clergy shall love the motherland, support the leadership of the Communist Party of China, support the socialist system, abide by the Constitution, laws, regulations, and rules, practice the core socialist values, adhere to the principle that religions in China are independent and self-governing, adhere to the direction of the sinicization of religions in China, and safeguard national unity, ethnic unity, religious harmony, and social stability.
Article 4 The religious affairs departments exercise administrative management over religious clergy according to law, protect their lawful rights and interests, guide religious bodies, religious schools, and venues for religious activities in training and managing religious clergy, and guide religious clergy to play a positive role in promoting economic and social development.
Chapter 2 Rights and Obligations of Religious Clergy
Article 5 Religious clergy enjoy the following rights according to law:
(1) To preside over religious activities and hold religious ceremonies;
(2) To collate religious scriptures and conduct research on religious doctrines, rules, and religious culture;
(3) To provide and receive religious education and training;
(4) To take part in the management of the religious body, religious school, or venue for religious activities to which they belong, and to hold corresponding posts in accordance with procedures;
(5) To carry out public welfare and charitable activities;
(6) To participate in social security and enjoy the related rights;
(7) Other rights provided for by laws, regulations, and rules.
Article 6 Religious clergy shall fulfill the following obligations:
(1) To safeguard the interests of the State and the public interest, and carry out activities within the scope provided for by laws, regulations, and rules;
(2) To accept management according to law by the religious affairs departments and other relevant departments;
(3) To abide by the rules and regulations formulated by religious bodies, and accept the management of the religious body, religious school, or venue for religious activities to which they belong;
(4) To serve religious citizens and guide them to love the country and abide by the law;
(5) To maintain the normal order of religious activities, resist illegal religious activities and religious extremist thought, and resist infiltration by foreign forces using religion;
(6) To maintain and promote harmony between different religions, within the same religion, and between religious and non-religious citizens;
(7) Other obligations provided for by laws, regulations, and rules.
Article 7 Religious clergy shall pay attention to improving their own quality, raise their cultural and moral cultivation, study the content of religious doctrines and rules that is conducive to social harmony, the progress of the times, and a healthy and civilized life, and incorporate it into their expounding of scriptures and preaching, so as to play a role in advancing the sinicization of religions in China.
Article 8 Religious clergy publishing religious information on the internet shall abide by the relevant national provisions on internet information services.
Article 9 The income of religious clergy shall be obtained in accordance with laws, regulations, rules, and policies and with the rules and regulations of religious bodies.
Religious clergy shall distinguish between their personal property and the property of religious bodies, religious schools, and venues for religious activities, and may not encroach upon, misappropriate, privately divide, damage, or dispose without authorization of the lawful property of religious bodies, religious schools, or venues for religious activities.
Religious clergy shall pay taxes and file tax returns according to law.
Article 10 Religious clergy who serve as persons in charge of, or engage in finance-related work at, religious bodies, religious schools, or venues for religious activities shall perform their financial management duties in accordance with the relevant national provisions on finance, accounting, and asset management.
Article 11 Religious clergy going abroad for religious exchanges shall complete the procedures in accordance with relevant national provisions.
Article 12 Religious clergy may not engage in the following conduct:
(1) Endangering national security or public safety; advocating, supporting, or funding religious extremism; undermining ethnic unity or splitting the country; carrying out terrorist activities or taking part in related activities;
(2) Interfering in the exercise of administrative, judicial, educational, and other state functions;
(3) Being controlled by foreign forces, accepting without authorization a clerical appointment from a religious body or institution outside China, or other conduct violating the principle of religious independence and self-governance;
(4) Accepting donations from within or outside China in violation of relevant national provisions;
(5) Affecting the normal production and life of citizens;
(6) Organizing, presiding over, or taking part in unapproved religious activities held outside venues for religious activities;
(7) Using public welfare or charitable activities to proselytize, proselytizing in schools and other educational institutions other than religious schools, or other proselytizing in violation of national provisions;
(8) Conducting commercial promotion in the name of religion;
(9) Other conduct violating laws, regulations, and rules.
Chapter 3 Qualification of Religious Clergy
Article 13 The qualification of religious clergy shall be obtained through accreditation by a religious body and filing with the religious affairs department. National religious bodies shall formulate measures for the accreditation of religious clergy of their religion, setting out the titles of religious clergy and the conditions and procedures for accreditation; the conditions for accreditation shall include the content provided for in Article 3 of these Measures. Measures for the accreditation of religious clergy formulated by national religious bodies shall be filed with the State Administration for Religious Affairs. Religious bodies shall accredit religious clergy in accordance with the measures formulated by the national religious bodies.
Article 14 A religious body shall, within twenty days of accrediting a member of the religious clergy, complete the filing form for religious clergy and file it with the religious affairs department, submitting copies of the household register and resident identity card of the person to be filed.
Religious clergy accredited by national religious bodies are filed with the State Administration for Religious Affairs; those accredited by religious bodies of provinces, autonomous regions, or municipalities directly under the central government are filed with the religious affairs department of the provincial-level people’s government; those accredited by religious bodies of districted cities (prefectures, autonomous prefectures, or leagues) are filed with the religious affairs department of the people’s government of the districted city; and those accredited by religious bodies of counties (county-level cities, districts, or banners) are filed with the religious affairs department of the county-level people’s government.
The model filing form for religious clergy is prepared by the State Administration for Religious Affairs.
Article 15 The succession of living Buddhas in Tibetan Buddhism shall be handled in accordance with the Regulations on Religious Affairs, the Measures on the Management of the Reincarnation of Living Buddhas in Tibetan Buddhism, and other relevant provisions.
Article 16 Catholic bishops are approved and consecrated by the Bishops’ Conference of the Catholic Church in China. The Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association and the Bishops’ Conference of the Catholic Church in China shall, within twenty days after the consecration of a bishop, complete the filing form for Catholic bishops and file it with the State Administration for Religious Affairs, submitting the following materials:
(1) Copies of the bishop’s household register and resident identity card;
(2) A statement issued by the Catholic body of the province, autonomous region, or municipality directly under the central government on the democratic election of the bishop;
(3) The letter of approval of the Bishops’ Conference of the Catholic Church in China;
(4) A statement on the consecration signed by the presiding consecrating bishop.
The model filing form for Catholic bishops is prepared by the State Administration for Religious Affairs.
Article 17 The religious affairs department shall give a written reply within twenty working days of receiving the filing materials submitted by the religious body; if no reply is given within that time, the filing shall be deemed completed.
Article 18 The filing of religious clergy shall not be accepted in any of the following circumstances:
(1) The accreditation was not made in accordance with the measures for the accreditation of religious clergy formulated by the national religious body;
(2) The filing materials submitted are untrue.
Article 19 After completing a filing, the religious affairs department shall assign a filing number to the member of the religious clergy. The filing number is a twelve-digit code consisting, in order, of a six-digit administrative division code, a one-digit religion code, and a five-digit serial number.
Article 20 Religious bodies shall issue religious clergy certificates to religious clergy whose filing has been completed, and may not charge fees for them.
Religious clergy certificates are valid nationwide. Religious bodies and religious affairs departments may not accredit or file religious clergy more than once.
Religious clergy certificates are printed by the national religious bodies and shall state the filing number, period of validity, and other particulars. Religious clergy shall promptly complete renewal procedures before their certificates expire.
Article 21 Where a member of the religious clergy falls under any of the following circumstances, the religious body shall, according to its management responsibilities, complete the procedures for cancelling the filing with the corresponding religious affairs department and make a public announcement in an appropriate manner:
(1) The religious affairs department has, according to law, proposed that the religious body revoke his or her qualification as religious clergy;
(2) The religious body has revoked his or her qualification as religious clergy in accordance with the relevant provisions of that religion;
(3) He or she has lost the qualification of religious clergy through voluntary relinquishment, death, or other reasons.
Chapter 4 Principal Clergy of Venues for Religious Activities
Article 22 “Principal clergy of venues for religious activities,” as used in these Measures, means religious clergy who preside over religious affairs at venues for religious activities.
National religious bodies shall formulate measures for the appointment of principal clergy of venues for religious activities of their religion, setting out the specific scope of principal clergy posts and the conditions and procedures for appointment; the conditions for appointment shall include the content provided for in Article 3 of these Measures. Measures for the appointment of principal clergy of venues for religious activities formulated by national religious bodies shall be filed with the State Administration for Religious Affairs.
Article 23 Within ten days after a member of the religious clergy is selected, in accordance with the measures for the appointment of principal clergy formulated by the national religious body, to serve as principal clergy of a venue for religious activities, the venue shall complete the filing form for principal clergy of venues for religious activities and file it with the religious affairs department, submitting the following materials:
(1) A statement on how the person to be appointed was selected;
(2) Copies of the household register, resident identity card, and religious clergy certificate of the person to be appointed.
Where the person to be appointed has left the post of principal clergy at another venue for religious activities, documentation of the cancellation of the filing for the principal clergy post at the venue left shall also be submitted.
The model filing form for principal clergy of venues for religious activities is prepared by the State Administration for Religious Affairs.
Article 24 The religious affairs department shall give a written reply within twenty working days of receiving the filing materials submitted by the venue for religious activities; if no reply is given within that time, the filing procedure shall be deemed completed.
Article 25 The filing of principal clergy of a venue for religious activities shall not be accepted in any of the following circumstances:
(1) The person to be appointed was not selected in accordance with the measures for the appointment of principal clergy formulated by the national religious body;
(2) The person to be appointed has left the post of principal clergy at another venue for religious activities without completing the procedure for cancelling the filing;
(3) The filing materials submitted are untrue.
Article 26 After the filing procedure for principal clergy of a venue for religious activities has been completed, the venue may hold an installation ceremony for the principal clergy and formally confer the duties.
Article 27 Principal clergy of venues for religious activities serve fixed terms of three to five years. Anyone intending to continue as principal clergy after the term expires shall go through the procedure in Article 23 of these Measures.
Article 28 When a member of the religious clergy leaves the post of principal clergy of a venue for religious activities, the venue shall complete the procedure for cancelling the filing in accordance with the filing procedure for appointment and submit the following materials:
(1) A statement on the decision by the venue’s management organization that the member of the clergy will leave the post of principal clergy;
(2) The written opinion issued by the religious body where the venue is located.
Where the member of the clergy leaving the post of principal clergy also serves as the head of the venue’s management organization or of its financial management body, the venue shall also submit a report on the departure financial audit.
Article 29 Cancellation of the filing of principal clergy of a venue for religious activities shall not be accepted in any of the following circumstances:
(1) The venue’s management organization did not decide that the member of the clergy would leave the post of principal clergy in accordance with the procedure set out in the measures for the appointment of principal clergy formulated by the national religious body;
(2) The consent of the religious body where the venue is located has not been obtained;
(3) The member of the clergy leaving the post of principal clergy also serves as the head of the venue’s management organization or of its financial management body, and the venue has not submitted a report on the departure financial audit.
Article 30 A member of the religious clergy may generally hold the post of principal clergy at only one venue for religious activities. Where there is a genuine need, he or she may concurrently hold the post of principal clergy at one other venue for religious activities.
Concurrently holding the post of principal clergy of a venue for religious activities requires the consent of the religious body of the county (county-level city, district, or banner) where that venue is located; the venue shall report the concurrent appointment to the religious affairs department of the county-level people’s government, which shall report level by level to the religious affairs department of the provincial-level people’s government for filing. For a concurrent appointment across provinces, autonomous regions, or municipalities directly under the central government, the religious affairs department of the provincial-level people’s government where the venue is located shall also seek the opinion of the religious affairs department of the provincial-level people’s government where the member of the clergy currently serves.
Article 31 Where a member of the religious clergy holding the post of principal clergy of a venue for religious activities falls under any of the following circumstances, the procedure for cancelling the filing shall be completed in accordance with the filing procedure for appointment, and a public announcement made in an appropriate manner:
(1) He or she has lost the qualification of religious clergy;
(2) He or she has been removed from the post of principal clergy for violating laws, regulations, rules, or the rules and regulations of the religious body;
(3) He or she has not performed the duties of principal clergy for more than one year or lacks the capacity to perform them normally.
Chapter 5 Supervision and Administration
Article 32 The religious affairs departments shall perform their duties of filing religious clergy and principal clergy of venues for religious activities according to law, and guide and supervise religious bodies, religious schools, and venues for religious activities in strengthening the management of religious clergy.
Article 33 The religious affairs departments shall, following the principle of integrating management into service, strengthen the information-based management of religious clergy.
The State Administration for Religious Affairs shall establish a database of religious clergy, and the religious affairs departments of local people’s governments shall promptly provide and update information such as the basic information, rewards and penalties, and cancellation of filings of religious clergy.
Article 34 Religious clergy engaging in religious affairs across provinces, autonomous regions, or municipalities directly under the central government shall obtain the consent of the religious bodies of the province, autonomous region, or municipality they are leaving and of the one they are going to, and file with the religious affairs departments of the provincial-level people’s governments of both places. Where they engage in religious affairs across provinces, autonomous regions, or municipalities for more than one year, the religious affairs departments of the provincial-level people’s governments of both places shall make the relevant changes to their information through the database of religious clergy, and responsibility for managing that member of the clergy shall be transferred to the corresponding religious affairs department and religious body of the place of arrival.
The management of religious clergy engaging in religious affairs across county-level or districted-city administrative areas shall be governed by provisions formulated by provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government in light of actual circumstances.
Article 35 Religious bodies shall formulate training plans for religious clergy, strengthen their political education, education in the rule of law, cultural education, and religious education, and raise the overall quality of religious clergy and of the clergy as a whole.
National religious bodies and religious bodies of provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government shall formulate rules and regulations on religious clergy going abroad to study.
Article 36 Religious bodies shall regulate the management of religious clergy certificates, and may not issue certificates in violation of the rules or profit from issuing certificates.
Article 37 Religious bodies shall, in accordance with the Constitution, laws, regulations, rules, and policies and the needs of their actual work, establish and improve rules and regulations for the management of religious clergy within their scope of business, formulate codes of conduct for religious clergy, improve mechanisms for rewarding and penalizing religious clergy and for their admission and exit, and impose corresponding penalties on religious clergy who violate laws, regulations, rules, and the rules and regulations of the body.
Article 38 Religious bodies shall formulate an assessment system for religious clergy, assess religious clergy, and use the results of assessment as an important basis for appointment, rewards and penalties, and so on.
Article 39 Religious bodies shall establish files on religious clergy, improve the mechanism for sharing information on religious clergy among religious bodies, religious schools, and venues for religious activities, and regularly report changes in information on religious clergy to the religious affairs departments.
Religious schools shall promptly report relevant information on their religious clergy to the religious body that established them.
Venues for religious activities shall promptly report relevant information on their religious clergy to the local religious body and religious affairs department.
Article 40 Religious schools shall adhere to the correct direction in running the school, improve the quality of education, and train high-quality religious clergy.
Article 41 Venues for religious activities shall strictly screen religious clergy they receive, verify their identity, and register them.
Venues for religious activities may not receive religious clergy beyond their capacity to accommodate and their economic capacity.
Article 42 Religious bodies, religious schools, and venues for religious activities shall establish and improve systems for managing their religious clergy, and strengthen supervision and management of religious clergy’s religious activities, acceptance of donations from within and outside China, and so on.
Article 43 Religious clergy holding the post of principal clergy of a venue for religious activities shall perform their duties of managing religious affairs, accept religious guidance from the religious body, submit to the management of the venue’s management organization, and accept the supervision of the religious clergy and religious citizens of the venue.
Article 44 When the religious affairs departments or religious bodies, religious schools, or venues for religious activities receive reports that religious clergy have violated laws, regulations, rules, or the rules and regulations of religious bodies, they shall investigate and verify them and deal with them according to law and regulations.
Article 45 Religious clergy who believe that a religious body, religious school, or venue for religious activities or its members have infringed their lawful rights and interests may report this to the religious affairs department. The religious affairs department shall investigate and verify the matter and deal with it according to law.
Chapter 6 Legal Liability
Article 46 Where public officials abuse their power, neglect their duties, or engage in malpractice for personal gain in the administration of religious clergy, and disciplinary sanctions are warranted, sanctions shall be imposed according to law; where a crime is constituted, criminal liability shall be pursued according to law.
Article 47 Where a religious body, religious school, or venue for religious activities commits any of the following acts, the religious affairs department shall order corrections; if it refuses to make corrections, penalties shall be imposed in accordance with Article 65 of the Regulations on Religious Affairs:
(1) Failing to establish and improve systems for managing religious clergy;
(2) Failing to manage religious clergy in accordance with these Measures;
(3) Failing to accredit or approve religious clergy in accordance with regulations;
(4) A venue for religious activities failing to select and appoint principal clergy in accordance with regulations;
(5) A religious body failing to complete the filing procedures for religious clergy in accordance with these Measures, or a venue for religious activities failing to complete the filing procedures for principal clergy in accordance with these Measures;
(6) Failing to issue religious clergy certificates in accordance with regulations, or profiting from issuing certificates;
(7) Infringing the lawful rights and interests of religious clergy;
(8) Other acts violating the relevant provisions of these Measures.
Article 48 Religious clergy who violate the relevant provisions of these Measures shall be penalized in accordance with Article 73 of the Regulations on Religious Affairs and other provisions.
Article 49 Anyone dissatisfied with an administrative act of a religious affairs department may apply for administrative reconsideration according to law; anyone dissatisfied with the decision on administrative reconsideration may bring an administrative lawsuit according to law.
Chapter 7 Supplementary Provisions
Article 50 Where a county (county-level city, district, or banner) has no relevant religious body, the corresponding duties under these Measures shall be performed by the religious body of the districted city (prefecture, autonomous prefecture, or league).
Where a districted city (prefecture, autonomous prefecture, or league) has no relevant religious body, the corresponding duties shall be performed by the religious body of the province, autonomous region, or municipality directly under the central government.
Where a province, autonomous region, or municipality directly under the central government has no relevant religious body, the corresponding duties shall be performed by the national religious body.
Article 51 The State Administration for Religious Affairs is responsible for interpreting these Measures.
Article 52 These Measures shall take effect on May 1, 2021.
The Measures for Filing Religious Clergy and the Measures for Filing the Appointment of Principal Clergy of Venues for Religious Activities promulgated by the State Administration for Religious Affairs in 2006 are repealed at the same time.