* Auxiliary Bishop of Pusan Ordained

The episcopal ordination of the Most Rev. Paul Hwang Cheol-soo, who was appointed as the Auxiliary Bishop of Pusan and the Titular Bishop of Vico di Pacato on January 17, 2006 by Pope Benedict XVI, took place on February 24 at Namcheon Cathedral of Pusan Diocese. The ordination Mass was presided over by the Most Rev. Augustine Cheong Myeong-cho, Bishop of Pusan.

Among some 6,000 participants were His Eminence Stephen Cardinal Kim Sou-hwan, His Eminence Nicholas Cardinal Cheong Jinsuk, bishops, priests, religious, and lay people. All of them prayed with one heart that the new bishop may become a true servant of God to bring a new impetus to the Diocese of Pusan which will celebrate the 50th anniversary of its establishment in 2007.

In the ceremony of episcopal ordination, Bishop Cheong asked the new bishop to entrust himself wholly to God, so that what God wants and wills can be accomplished through him, saying that Christ's disciple is a servant who is subject to others and who is not served, but serves.

In the congratulatory ceremony following the Mass, H.E. Cardinal Kim said, "I believe that the new bishop will always infuse spiritual vitality into the Catholic Church in Korea." Responding to this congratulatory message, Bishop Hwang expressed, "As a debtor of love to God's people, I wish to commit my episcopate to repaying for their love."

Born in 1953 in Milyang, Gyeongnam, Bishop Hwang was ordained a priest in February 1983, and taught at the Catholic University of Pusan from 1991 to 1994 after he took a master's degree of fundamental theology at the Katholische Universitat Eichstatt-Ingolstadt in Germany. He served as a parish priest in several parishes and director in Maryknoll Hospital in Pusan. He also served as the general secretary of the Diocesan Office of Pusan. 


* Thanksgiving Mass for a New Korean Cardinal

His Eminence Nicholas Cardinal Cheong Jinsuk celebrated the first Mass with his diocesan faithful at noon on Sunday, Feb. 24, 2006 after he was named cardinal by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI on Feb. 22. The thanksgiving Mass was held at the Myeongdong Cathedral of Seoul.

In the homily, His Eminence Cardinal Cheong stressed, "It is a way to help me that you live as salt and light of Christ in the world." In addition, Cardinal Cheong invited the faithful to guide the poor and the marginalized into the bosom of the Father, following Jesus Christ who specially loves them. He asked specifically, "Let us pray together for our northern brethren to live happily through divine mercy."

About 2,000 Catholics attended the Mass which Cardinal Cheong concelebrated with auxiliary bishops and priests in the archdiocese.

The investiture and presentation of the cardinalitial ring will be held at the Vatican on March 25.