Communication on November 4, 2005
* Commemoration Of The 40th Anniversary Of Nostra Aetate
The Committee for Promoting Christian Unity & Interreligious Dialogue of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea (CBCK) held a commemoration ceremony for the 40th Anniversary of the publication of Nostra Aetate at the Franciscan Education Center in Seoul on Oct. 27, 2005. Nostra Aetate is a declaration on the relation of the Church to non-christian religions of the II Vatical Council, promulgated by the Pope Paul VI on October 27, 1965.
Many representatives from other religions in and out of Korea participated also in this ceremony to reaffirm the spirit of the interreligious dialogue and cooperation presented in Nostra Aetate.
Most interesting part of the ceremony was the "Prayer for Peace" given together by the participating religious representatives. Mr. Igal Caspie, the Israel Ambassador to Korea, and Rev. Lee Haeng-rae Lee, Imam of the Korea Muslim Federation, were also among them.
Nostra Aetate, which affirmed that "The Catholic Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions[Hinduism, Buddhism, and other religions]"(Nostra Aetate 2), paved a new way to the interreligious dialogue. This was the "first step" with open attitude to the other religions which serves as the basis for the on going interreligious dialogue and cooperation.
The Most Rev. Augustine Cheong Myeng-cho, the newly elected president of the CBCK said, "Today we live in a time when we desperately need the spirit of this declaration of 40 years ago, which started with the word 'Nostra Aetate', all the more." And he added, "I can see that we, as the members of the religious world, are ready to march together to the common good and peace of the world through dialogue with open heart since there is not a single religion which turns its face away from the common good and the peace of the world despite the different teachings."
Ven. Hyun-go, the representative from Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, said that "The cause of the pains like war, conflict and hunger stems from the prejudices which do not tolerate the difference." And he asserted that "The message of peace may be communicated to the people as we gather here to pursue the common value in the name of our respective religions."
A reception was given to the participants of this ceremony at the Plaza Hotel in Seoul. And on the next day, there was a seminar to reflect on the spirit of Nostra Aetate and to check the current situation of the interreligious dialogue in Korea at the Catholic University of Korea. The Most Rev. Hyginus Kim Hee-jung, the president of the Committee for Promoting Christian Unity & Interreligious Dialogue of the CBCK, made a keynote address with the theme of "The Basic Spirit and the Reality of the Interreligious Dialogue"
* The Decree About The Beatification Cause Of The Servant of God Thomas Choe Yang-eop Promulgated
The Episcopal Special Commission to Promote Beatification and Canonization of the CBCK promulgated the decree of the Introduction of the Cause and of Constitution of the Tribunal for the beatification cause of the Servant of God Thomas Choe Yang-eop, priest.
In accordance with this decree the first judicial inquiry will be held at the Conference Room of the CBCK on Dec. 3, 2005.
The Most Rev. Michael Pak Jeong-il, the chairman of the Episcopal Special Commission to Promote Beatification and Canonization of the CBCK, said, "I declare hereby the introduction of the beatification cause of the Servant of God Thomas Choe Yang-eop, priest, and order to start the judicial inquiry of the life, good deed and virtues of the above-mentioned Servant of God in accordance with the new laws for the causes of saints promulgated in 1983."
With this, the number of the Servants of God, confessors and martyrs of the early era of persecution of the Catholics in Korea who are now under the judicial inquiries for the beatification cause, has increased to 125.
The Church in Korea has already instituted the judicial inquiries on May 21, 2005 to promote the beatification of the Servants of God "Paul Yun Ji-chung and 123 companions."
The Committee for Promoting Christian Unity & Interreligious Dialogue of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea (CBCK) held a commemoration ceremony for the 40th Anniversary of the publication of Nostra Aetate at the Franciscan Education Center in Seoul on Oct. 27, 2005. Nostra Aetate is a declaration on the relation of the Church to non-christian religions of the II Vatical Council, promulgated by the Pope Paul VI on October 27, 1965.
Many representatives from other religions in and out of Korea participated also in this ceremony to reaffirm the spirit of the interreligious dialogue and cooperation presented in Nostra Aetate.
Most interesting part of the ceremony was the "Prayer for Peace" given together by the participating religious representatives. Mr. Igal Caspie, the Israel Ambassador to Korea, and Rev. Lee Haeng-rae Lee, Imam of the Korea Muslim Federation, were also among them.
Nostra Aetate, which affirmed that "The Catholic Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions[Hinduism, Buddhism, and other religions]"(Nostra Aetate 2), paved a new way to the interreligious dialogue. This was the "first step" with open attitude to the other religions which serves as the basis for the on going interreligious dialogue and cooperation.
The Most Rev. Augustine Cheong Myeng-cho, the newly elected president of the CBCK said, "Today we live in a time when we desperately need the spirit of this declaration of 40 years ago, which started with the word 'Nostra Aetate', all the more." And he added, "I can see that we, as the members of the religious world, are ready to march together to the common good and peace of the world through dialogue with open heart since there is not a single religion which turns its face away from the common good and the peace of the world despite the different teachings."
Ven. Hyun-go, the representative from Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, said that "The cause of the pains like war, conflict and hunger stems from the prejudices which do not tolerate the difference." And he asserted that "The message of peace may be communicated to the people as we gather here to pursue the common value in the name of our respective religions."
A reception was given to the participants of this ceremony at the Plaza Hotel in Seoul. And on the next day, there was a seminar to reflect on the spirit of Nostra Aetate and to check the current situation of the interreligious dialogue in Korea at the Catholic University of Korea. The Most Rev. Hyginus Kim Hee-jung, the president of the Committee for Promoting Christian Unity & Interreligious Dialogue of the CBCK, made a keynote address with the theme of "The Basic Spirit and the Reality of the Interreligious Dialogue"
* The Decree About The Beatification Cause Of The Servant of God Thomas Choe Yang-eop Promulgated
The Episcopal Special Commission to Promote Beatification and Canonization of the CBCK promulgated the decree of the Introduction of the Cause and of Constitution of the Tribunal for the beatification cause of the Servant of God Thomas Choe Yang-eop, priest.
In accordance with this decree the first judicial inquiry will be held at the Conference Room of the CBCK on Dec. 3, 2005.
The Most Rev. Michael Pak Jeong-il, the chairman of the Episcopal Special Commission to Promote Beatification and Canonization of the CBCK, said, "I declare hereby the introduction of the beatification cause of the Servant of God Thomas Choe Yang-eop, priest, and order to start the judicial inquiry of the life, good deed and virtues of the above-mentioned Servant of God in accordance with the new laws for the causes of saints promulgated in 1983."
With this, the number of the Servants of God, confessors and martyrs of the early era of persecution of the Catholics in Korea who are now under the judicial inquiries for the beatification cause, has increased to 125.
The Church in Korea has already instituted the judicial inquiries on May 21, 2005 to promote the beatification of the Servants of God "Paul Yun Ji-chung and 123 companions."