China's latest information inquiry system for Buddhist and Taoist clerical personnel was launched on Wednesday to regulate the management on clerical personnel and fight against fraud cases related to fake religious personnel.
A ceremony for the launch of the inquiry system was held at the Guangji Temple in Beijing, where the Buddhist Association of China is situated. The system provides information of Buddhist and Taoist clerical personnel identified and registered in accordance with the laws to the public through the internet.
Clerical personnel's information including name, gender, photo, religious title, religious sect, clerical identity and clerical ID number will be available to the public and the information will be updated in a timely manner by the associations to ensure accuracy and credibility.
The launch of the system is an important effort for China's Buddhist and Taoist associations to promote openness in religious affairs and regulate the identification management of clerical personnel.
Fraud cases involving fake religious personnel have occurred from time to time in recent years, which has seriously tarnished the image of religious circles, disturbed social and public orders, caused economic and property losses to people, and left an extremely bad social impact, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
Meanwhile, the system is also expected to provide convenience for the public to identify fake clerical personnel, and safeguard public interests and legitimate rights.
It is reported that the information inquiry system of the clerical personnel of Islam, Catholic Church, Protestant Churches will soon be launched in the near future.
