Reports: Chinese priests detained over new bishop

[rug]

BEIJING (AP) -- A number of priests and laymen in China's underground Catholic church have been detained in the country's northwest in a struggle over the appointment of a new bishop, overseas reports said Wednesday.

Catholic news agencies AsiaNews and ucanews said security officials rounded up men from the underground community in the city of Tianshui over the weekend. They are being held separately and are required to attend political study sessions for four hours each day, they said.

However, an official with the local government's Religious Affairs Bureau said the men were merely taking part in a routine training session.

"There was definitely no detention at all," said the man, who refused to give his name because he wasn't authorized to speak to the media.

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