Shaolin Temple abbot Shi Yongxin. (File photo/Chinanews.com)
China will better manage religious personnel and safeguard the religious circle's legal interests, authorities said on Thursday.
A spokesperson with the State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA) told Xinhua it has "paid great attention" to reports about Shi Yongxin, abbot of Shaolin Temple in central China's Henan Province and vice-chairman of the Buddhist Association of China (BAC).
SARA has asked Henan provincial religious department to verify the accusations against the abbot.
Shi Zhengyi, the accuser, posted a series of allegations on the Internet and said Shi Yongxin was an "embezzler and womanizer" with illegitimate children.
The list of accusations included documents purportedly showing that Shi Yongxin was kicked out of Shaolin in the 1980s following a theft.
The monastery denies all the allegations and has reported Shi Zhengyi to the police for "fabricated and malicious insults and libel."
Meanwhile, the BAC on Thursday called for "the truth as soon as possible."
The accusation "concerns the image and reputation of Chinese Buddhism," the BAC said in a statement.
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Sex scandal surrounding Shaolin abbot raises deeper questions about faith in Chinese society
The sex scandal of Shaolin Temple abbot, Shi Yongxin, escalated on Tuesday after a self-proclaimed follower disclosed more evidence to support his allegation.
Shi Zhengyi, the whistle-blower who claims to be a former follower of the Shaolin Temple in Central China's Henan Province, posted an article on various online forums on Saturday, saying that the abbot maintains sexual relations with several women and has illegitimate children.
Shi Zhengyi further disclosed identifications on Tuesday to prove the abbot was expelled from the Shaolin Temple in 1988, and gave information about the identity of one woman who is allegedly the mother of Shi Yongxin's illegitimate child.
"With all these hard evidences presented, could Shi Yongxin come forward to take a parentage identification test?" Shi Zhengyi was quoted by the media.
The sex scandal not only concerns the Shaolin Temple, which posted a statement to refute the allegation, but also triggers discussions over the role of religion in people's life.
