The Catholic Church in Korea celebrates Tuesday, June 25, 2024, a national day of prayer for reconciliation and unity between North and South Korea. The two countries, which experienced a very bloody war from 1950 to 1953, still experience tense relations.
This day was established by the Korean Bishops’ Conference to commemorate June 25, 1950, the start of the war. Since then, peace and unity on the Korean peninsula have always been the pastoral priorities of the Episcopal Conference, whose spiritual commitment is important: to date, 1,413 masses of reconciliation have been celebrated for this purpose.
On the eve of this 74e anniversary, the Archbishop of Seoul, Mgr. Peter Soon-taick Chung celebrated a mass this Monday, June 24, in the Myeongdong Cathedral. On this occasion, he called on Catholics to renew their commitment to peace and reconciliation, and stressed that it is crucial not to transmit a legacy of hatred to future generations.
Archbishop Chung during his homily © aos.catholic.or.kr
“ Even though the situation between the two Koreas may seem bleak, we Christians cannot remain in despair. It is precisely in this time of growing animosity that our prayer can shed greater light on this period. “, he said in his homily. The Archbishop concluded by saying that it is necessary to “ choose the path of forgiveness and reconciliation rather than that of hatred and resentment “.
Since 1965, the Korean Catholic Bishops’ Conference has celebrated June 25 as the ” Day of prayer for the Church in silence “. In 1992, its name was changed to ” Day of Prayer for Reconciliation and Unity of the Korean People “.
“ What can we do now that inter-Korean relations are on the verge of collapse? », confides to Fides Mgr Simon Kim Jong-gang, president of the National Reconciliation Committee of the Korean Bishops’ Conference. “ What we can do is our own conversion (…). We must begin our new journey with a humble heart and a sincere spirit of conversion. Indeed, true unity can be achieved when we strive to change ourselves, with a welcoming and understanding heart towards others. »
