The five departments of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) issued a notice prohibiting online religious gatherings prior to this year’s Christmas. Many local governments and public security departments have joined forces to restrict religious activities, and the authorities have banned Christmas celebrations in the name of “epidemic prevention.” Before Christmas, the governments and public security departments of Guangdong, Shandong, Anhui, Guangxi, Zhejiang Provinces, and other regions once again joined forces to restrict non-government sanctioned religious activities. The pastor of a Guangdong house church, surnamed Chen, told Radio Free Asia (RFA) on Dec. 22 that the local police had notified the church in the morning in the name of epidemic prevention that gatherings were not allowed during Christmas. The pastor of a church in Shandong, named John, also said that the local situation is the same as in other parts of the country—Christmas celebration is not allowed. “It has been ordered …