In the wake of a report that Chinese Communist Party officials pressured impoverished Christians to remove all images of Jesus and crosses from their homes and replace them with pictures of President Xi Jinping, the party’s new personnel chief said he expects more faith from CPC “cadres.”

Faith in the party, that is.

In article in the state-run People’s Daily newspaper, reported on by the South China Morning Post, Communist Party of China Organization Department Director Chen Xi said senior party officials who have lost faith in socialism and turned to Western forms of democracy should not be promoted within the party ranks. He said some do not believe in Marx and Lenin, but “believe in ghosts and gods.”

“Political traits are hidden in people’s minds and are difficult to judge,” he added.  “So we need to listen to people who are familiar with the cadres.”

Chen said that in the future, to gain promotion, CPC officials must be “dedicated to upholding Xi’s status as core of the party,” while sternly opposing “wrong ideas,” such as constitutional separation of powers as in the U.S. He added they must also demonstrate they understand their political responsibility, their ability to steer political direction and manage risks, and self-discipline.

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