Vatican deal a new trial for one Catholic village in north China

The Palm Sunday procession makes its way towards a government-sanctioned church in Youtong village, Hebei province, China, March 25, 2018. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

YOUTONG VILLAGE, China (Reuters) - Choosing a church can be complicated in China under the rule of the officially atheist Communist Party - especially in Youtong village, where roughly half the 5,000 residents are Catholics.

Within a mile radius, the village in northern China's Hebei province hosts a Catholic church sanctioned by Chinese authorities, two large "underground" churches, and numerous smaller unofficial house churches, according to villagers.