On Saturday, September 16, Korean pilgrims, including priests, consecrated persons, lay people and some civil authorities, had come to visit the Pope. The meeting in the Vatican was held on the 177th anniversary of the martyrdom of St. Andrew Kim Tegon and the installation of a statue dedicated to him in one of the exterior niches of St. Peter’s Basilica.
Inese Steinert – Vatican
Francis thanked the Lord for Kim Tae-gon, as well as for the witness of life and faith of the Korean people. He greeted his guests and recalled his own visit to Korea in 2014, when the VI Asian Youth Days were held in Seoul.
At that time, Francis visited the Solmoe shrine, built near the house where Saint Kim Tae-gon was born and spent his childhood. “There I prayed in silence for Korea and for the youth,” the Pope said. On the other hand, when talking about Kim Tae-gon and his martyrdom, he quoted a passage from the Gospel about a seed that falls into the ground and dies in order to bear much fruit (cf. Jn 12:24). The Holy Father explained that these words help to read in a spiritual way the beautiful history of faith of the Korean people, in which Saint Kim Tae-gon is like a precious seed. He, the first Korean priest-martyr, was killed at a very young age, soon after receiving his priestly blessings. “His personality reveals the vocation entrusted to the Church of Korea – you are called to a new and fervent faith, guided by love for God and neighbor, to a faith that knows how to give,” said the Pope. He pointed out that the Korean Church serves as a reminder that it is impossible to follow Jesus without embracing His cross and it is impossible to call ourselves Christians if we are not ready to follow the path of love to the end.
The Pope also mentioned the great zeal of St. Andrey Kim Tae-gon in spreading the Gospel and expressed his joy that there are many calls to the priesthood in Korea. He encouraged the Korean Church to send its priests on mission. Jorge Mario Bergoglio recalled that he once met Korean missionary priests in Argentina, whose activities left a good impression.
“The Church, born thanks to the action of the laity and sprinkled with the blood of martyrs, renews itself by drawing from its roots the evangelical fervor of witnesses and being able to appreciate the role and charisms of the laity,” the Pope told the Koreans. From this point of view, he pointed out the importance of broadening the horizons of pastoral cooperation, with priests, consecrated persons and all lay people working together without closure. “The desire to give the world the hope of the Gospel opens the heart to enthusiasm, helps to overcome many barriers. The Gospel does not divide, but unites, it forces us to embody and be close to each other within the framework of our culture, our history, with the spirit of humility and service, never creating contrasts, but always developing the spirit of community,” Francis said.
Addressing the Korean faithful, the Bishop of Rome invited them to discover their mission as “apostles of peace” in all areas of life. While Saint Kim Tae-gong was studying in Macao, he had to witness the Opium Wars and yet, even in this conflictual context, he was able to be a seed of peace, showing a desire to meet and dialogue with everyone. The Pope wished the dream of peace on the Korean Peninsula to the tutelage of St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon. Francis assured that he himself does not stop thinking and praying about it.
At the end of the meeting, the Holy Father noted that the next World Youth Day will be held in Seoul in 2027. He called on Korean believers to prepare for them by fervently preaching the Word of God. The Pope expressed his disappointment that despite the wonderful history of faith and great pastoral work of the Korean Church, many young people allow themselves to be seduced by the myths of consumerism and the illusion of hedonism. “But the heart of young people is looking for something else, it is created for much wider horizons,” said Francis, calling on the Church to take care of young people, to look for them, to bring them closer, to listen, to preach to them the beauty of the Gospel, so that, internally free, they become joyful followers of the truth and to the witnesses of brotherhood.
The Pope thanked the Korean pilgrims for their visit and invoked the heavenly patronage of Saint Kim Tae-gon and other Korean martyrs to protect the people of their country and show them the way.
2023-09-16 13:17:46
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