Rome, Oct. 10, 2007 (CWNews.com) - The Vatican newspaper has renewed questions about the death of an underground Catholic bishop.

L'Osservatore Romano called attention to the mysterious circumstances surrounding the September 7 death of Bishop Han Dinxiang, who had spent the last 8 years of his life in government custody.

Bishop Dinxiang, who had spent a total of 35 years in prison, had been held at an undisclosed location for two years before his relatives were suddenly summoned to his bedside. Within hours after his death, the bishop's body had been cremated and his remains buried. An armed guard has now been stationed at his grave, L'Osservatore Romano noted, in an obvious effort to discourage visitors.

Chinese Catholics have questioned whether the bishop, who died at the age of 71, had been tortured during his captivity.