A U.S.-based religious rights group says Chinese authorities have detained a bishop from the communist country's underground Catholic church.In a statement issued Monday the Cardinal Kung Foundation, based in Stamford, Connecticut says Bishop Jia Zhiguo was taken from his home in northern China's Zhengding city, Hebei province last Wednesday. 

Police in Zhengding say they are unaware of Bishop Jia's detention.The Foundation says that the 67-year-old cleric has spent nearly 20 years in prison for practicing and teaching his beliefs. In recent years he has been under strict surveillance. Two Catholic churches exist in China. The Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, which is loyal to communist authorities, has about four million followers who do not recognize the authority of the pope, the leader of the Catholic church. 

The underground Roman Catholic Church is loyal to the Pope and is also believed to have several million adherents. The Chinese government has declared the underground church illegal. The pope named Jia Zhiguo bishop in 1980. 

Some information for this report provided by AFP and AP.

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