Communication on April 15, 2005
* Bishop You Succeeds to the See of Daejeon
The Most Rev. Lazzaro You Heung-sik, Coadjutor Bishop of Daejeon, took possession of the See of Daejeon on April 6, 2005, succeeding the Most Rev. Joseph Kyeong Kap-ryong, Bishop of Daejeon.
Bishop You was appointed as the Coadjutor Bishop of Daejeon with the right of succession on July 9, 2003 and ordained a Bishop on August 19, in the same year. Pope John Paul II accepted the resignation of Bishop Kyeong as of April 1, 2005 and appointed Bishop You as the Diocesan Bishop.
His succession took place at Chungmu Stadium in Daejeon. Some 6,000 attendants included the Most Rev. Emil Paul Tscherrig, Apostolic Nuncio to Korea, and 24 other brother Bishops. H.E. Stephen Cardinal Kim Sou-hwan and the Most Rev. Andreas Choi Chang-mou, President of the CBCK, and Most Rev. John Chang Yik, Bishop of Chunchon, Secretary of the CBCK, were absent to attend the funeral Mass of the departed Holy Father.
In the inauguration address, Bishop You said, "I wish for the grace to live as a true Christian so that after completing my service, I will be able to say before God 'I did my best in serving people and loving them.' I also hope we can make a beautiful community, community conformed to the Holy Family."
The retiring Bishop Kyeong also wished a bright future of the diocese, saying, "I hope that all priests and lay Catholics in the Diocese, centered on the new Bishop, open a new era of the diocese by starting afresh." He also thanked Jesus Christ the High Priest for having given him the strength and courage for the 20 years of his episcopate.
As the first Bishop of local origin, Bishop You was warmly welcomed by the diocesan faithful. However, in token of the mourning of the local Church to the late Pope John Paul II, the ceremony was simply prepared and just focused on appreciating the service of retiring Bishop and making a united commitment to the new start of the Diocese.
* A Catholic Priest Appointed as a Member of the National Committee of Bioethical Deliberation
On April 7, 2005, the Rev. Remigio Lee Dong-ik, Executive Secretary of the Bioethics Committee of the CBCK, was appointed by the President Roh Moo-hyun as one of the 14 members of the National Committee of Bioethical Deliberation. This Committee was established as an advisory body for the President, as the Law Concerning Ethics and Security of Life took effect in January.
With regard to the future activities, the Rev. Lee strictly affirmed, "Biotechnology must advance by respecting ethics." He also stressed that more ethicists should participate in this field, given the fact that most of the Committee's members are doctors and jurists. Of the 14 members, he is the only clergyman and pure ethicist.
"After the Law came into effect, a new problem arouse: while higher budget is allotted to the research on certain incurable diseases, other lives are being neglected, which otherwise can be benefited with less budget." Thus, He called on more concern in this regard, saying, "From the decision makers to lay Catholics, all the members of the Church should be well aware of bioethical issues and be alert in order to defend every life. To defend life is also one of the fundamental teachings of the Church."
* Bishop Lucas Kim Issues a Message for the Day of the Handicapped
On the occasion of the national Day of the Handicapped on April 20, 2005, the Most Rev. Lucas Kim Woon-hoe, Auxiliary Bishop of Seoul, issued a message titled "Love Makes Perfection."
In the message, he invited the faithful “to remove the boundary between the handicapped and the non-handicapped and to be companions of the handicapped neighbors by the practice of charity." He also added, “With the faith in Christ the Savior, we also should be freed from the psychological obstacles which restrict ourselves."
The Most Rev. Lazzaro You Heung-sik, Coadjutor Bishop of Daejeon, took possession of the See of Daejeon on April 6, 2005, succeeding the Most Rev. Joseph Kyeong Kap-ryong, Bishop of Daejeon.
Bishop You was appointed as the Coadjutor Bishop of Daejeon with the right of succession on July 9, 2003 and ordained a Bishop on August 19, in the same year. Pope John Paul II accepted the resignation of Bishop Kyeong as of April 1, 2005 and appointed Bishop You as the Diocesan Bishop.
His succession took place at Chungmu Stadium in Daejeon. Some 6,000 attendants included the Most Rev. Emil Paul Tscherrig, Apostolic Nuncio to Korea, and 24 other brother Bishops. H.E. Stephen Cardinal Kim Sou-hwan and the Most Rev. Andreas Choi Chang-mou, President of the CBCK, and Most Rev. John Chang Yik, Bishop of Chunchon, Secretary of the CBCK, were absent to attend the funeral Mass of the departed Holy Father.
In the inauguration address, Bishop You said, "I wish for the grace to live as a true Christian so that after completing my service, I will be able to say before God 'I did my best in serving people and loving them.' I also hope we can make a beautiful community, community conformed to the Holy Family."
The retiring Bishop Kyeong also wished a bright future of the diocese, saying, "I hope that all priests and lay Catholics in the Diocese, centered on the new Bishop, open a new era of the diocese by starting afresh." He also thanked Jesus Christ the High Priest for having given him the strength and courage for the 20 years of his episcopate.
As the first Bishop of local origin, Bishop You was warmly welcomed by the diocesan faithful. However, in token of the mourning of the local Church to the late Pope John Paul II, the ceremony was simply prepared and just focused on appreciating the service of retiring Bishop and making a united commitment to the new start of the Diocese.
* A Catholic Priest Appointed as a Member of the National Committee of Bioethical Deliberation
On April 7, 2005, the Rev. Remigio Lee Dong-ik, Executive Secretary of the Bioethics Committee of the CBCK, was appointed by the President Roh Moo-hyun as one of the 14 members of the National Committee of Bioethical Deliberation. This Committee was established as an advisory body for the President, as the Law Concerning Ethics and Security of Life took effect in January.
With regard to the future activities, the Rev. Lee strictly affirmed, "Biotechnology must advance by respecting ethics." He also stressed that more ethicists should participate in this field, given the fact that most of the Committee's members are doctors and jurists. Of the 14 members, he is the only clergyman and pure ethicist.
"After the Law came into effect, a new problem arouse: while higher budget is allotted to the research on certain incurable diseases, other lives are being neglected, which otherwise can be benefited with less budget." Thus, He called on more concern in this regard, saying, "From the decision makers to lay Catholics, all the members of the Church should be well aware of bioethical issues and be alert in order to defend every life. To defend life is also one of the fundamental teachings of the Church."
* Bishop Lucas Kim Issues a Message for the Day of the Handicapped
On the occasion of the national Day of the Handicapped on April 20, 2005, the Most Rev. Lucas Kim Woon-hoe, Auxiliary Bishop of Seoul, issued a message titled "Love Makes Perfection."
In the message, he invited the faithful “to remove the boundary between the handicapped and the non-handicapped and to be companions of the handicapped neighbors by the practice of charity." He also added, “With the faith in Christ the Savior, we also should be freed from the psychological obstacles which restrict ourselves."