Agence France Presse reported that Chinese portals blocked surfers from viewing prayers and blessings posted after the death of Pope John Paul II, cutting off a flood of messages that began on Saturday but had dried up by Monday. An official at Sohu.com acknowledged the company had censored comments, telling AFP it was now using technology that allowed only the writer to see his or her own comments. "We are afraid of problems," the official told the news agency. "It's not that they are taken off, it just means other people cannot see it."