Religious leaders laud Pope Francis' legacy in condolence letter
'Francis gave a spiritual lesson to all of us, living a life fully dedicated to faith and love,' Seoul Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick said in a statement.
'Above all, he exemplified the commitment to the socially marginalized,' Archbishop Chung added, calling on Catholics to live up to the example of love and generosity set by Francis.
The National Council of Churches in Korea, one of the four largest Protestant alliances in the country, described the pontiff as a friend of those who are suffering — the poor, migrants and refugees — always advocating for justice.
'The earthly language he used and the way he acted on his words were a demonstration of God's love, and his leadership moved churches everywhere,' said the Rev. Kim Jong-seng, the NCCK general secretary.
The Ven. Jinwoo, president of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, the largest Buddhist sect here, called Francis a teacher of mankind who helped bridge differences between religions. 'He taught us the value of peace and solidarity,' Jinwoo said.
The Korean Council of Religious Leaders, a coalition of leaders representing seven major religions in South Korea, focused on a visit to Korea by Francis in 2014 that the council said 'had consoled the country as a whole.'
On the first day of that five-day visit that began on Aug. 14, 2014, Francis met with and consoled families who lost loved ones in the Sewol ferry disaster that occurred in April that year. He was in Korea to beatify 124 Korean Catholic martyrs in Seoul, including Paul Yun Ji-chung, and to officiate Mass at Asian Youth Day.
'We will continue to work on advancing reconciliation between religions and love for mankind, living up to his spirit,' the council said.
In a 2022 interview with local broadcaster KBS, Francis spoke of a visit to North Korea as part of aiding reconciliation on the divided peninsula. Former South Korean Moon Jae-in made the entreaty twice in his visits to the Vatican in 2018 and 2021
'When they invite me — that is to say, please invite me — I won't say no,' Francis said. The trip did not take place.
Myeongdong Cathedral, the seat of the Archdiocese of Seoul, said plans on holding a memorial there would be announced soon.
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Korea Herald
21-07-2025
- Korea Herald
Ishiba's coalition loses majority in Japan's upper house election
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'I will fulfill my responsibility as head of the No. 1 party and work for the country,' he said. Ishiba had set the bar low, wanting a simple majority of 125 seats, which means his LDP and its Buddhist-backed junior coalition partner Komeito needed to win 50 seats. Exit poll results released seconds after the ballots closed Sunday night mostly showed a major setback for Ishiba's coalition. The LDP alone won 39 seats, better than most exit poll projections of 32, and still the No. 1 party in the parliament, known as the Diet. But Ishiba said the coalition's poor showing was because his government's measures to combat price increases had yet to reach many people. 'It's a tough situation. I take it humbly and sincerely,' Ishiba told a live interview with NHK. 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The emerging populist party Sanseito stands out with the toughest anti-foreigner stance, with its 'Japanese First' platform that proposes a new agency to handle policies related to foreigners. The party's populist platform also includes anti-vaccine, anti-globalism and favors traditional gender roles. Conservative opposition groups, especially the DPP and Sanseito, gained significant ground at the Liberal Democrats' expense, while the centrist top opposition CDPJ was sluggish. The DPP quadrupled to 17 seats from four, according to interim results reported by Japanese media. Sanseito surged to 14 from just one. DPP leader Yuichiro Tamaki said his party made saw a big gain because voters chose it "as a new alternative.' None of the opposition parties said that they were open to cooperating with the governing coalition. CDPJ leader Yoshihiko Noda told NHK that his priority is to form an alliance among the opposition. 'Public opinion clearly said 'no' to the Ishiba government,' Noda said. 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Korea Herald
07-07-2025
- Korea Herald
Cardinal hopes for historic moment: Pope with leaders of two Koreas
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Korea Herald
03-07-2025
- Korea Herald
Late Pope Francis' Pyongyang visit fell through due to N. Korea's silence: Cardinal Lazarus You
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