A temporary church will be set up in the Olympic Village during the 2008 Games for Catholic athletes, and all churches in Beijing will be open to Catholic tourists. (Our illustration is of a church in in Wangfujing Street, in Beijing, NOT the temporary church which is not yet built.)

As the Olympics site states: China is a country with religious freedom and respects every religion. Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism and Christianity are religions found in Beijing. Religious activities are carried out in Buddhist temples, Taoist temples, mosques and churches in Beijing. The most well known of these are: Catholic East Church, Catholic South Church, Gangwa City Christian Church, Chongwenmen Christian Church, Niujie Street Mosque, Dongsi Mosque, Guangji Temple, Guanghua Temple, Baiyun Taoist Temple and Yonghegong Lamasery.

Liu Bainian, vice-president of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association said the Beijing diocese is training priests fluent in foreign languages to celebrate Mass during the upcoming Games. He said, ‘All will be arranged in accordance with the practices adopted by other Olympics host cities.’

A religious service center will be set up in the Olympic Village with professional religious personnel providing services to meet the needs of athletes from various religious convictions although there has to be a limit to the number of religions that can be catered to.

However, it is important, and it has been arranged, that athletes and those who accompany them, can enjoy different dishes specially made in accordance with their religious beliefs.

A total of 60 volunteers from the five major religions in China — Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Christianity and Catholicism — recently attended a three-day training session organized by the Beijing municipal administration of religious affairs for providing religious services during the Games.
Source: China.org.cn