A Message for the First Week for Catholic Education Was Issued
The Most Rev. Matthias Ri Iong-hoon, President of the Committee on Education of the CBCK, issued a message for the first Week for Catholic Education, which lasted from May 22 through May 28 in this year.
The Most Rev. Ri said, "Catholic education is a core process and a way to maintain Catholic faith and tradition. ... When the Catholic community itself becomes an 'educational' community, Catholic values can be solidified more firmly in the Church, and life and faith can be in harmony out of the Church.'" And he stressed that the Week for Catholic Education should be the time for the Catholic community of faithful and learning members to think about itself and to find out proper means for the development of Catholic education.
As a follow-up measure of the Week for Catholic Education, a 'Charter for Catholic Education in Korea' will be soon issued. This charter will manifest the identity and mission of the Catholic schools in Korea and present the proper methods of Catholic education. The Week for Catholic Education was approved at the 2006 Spring General Assembly of the CBCK.
The Meeting of the Permanent Council of the CBCK Was Held
The Permanent Council of the CBCK held a meeting on May 11, 2006 and decided as follows:
1. The Sunday Bulletin and computerized network system of each Diocese would be actively utilized to promote wide and prompt communication of the messages of the Holy See and the CBCK.
2. The Rev. Casimir Song Yul-sup (ordained in 1977) was appointed as Executive Secretary of 'the Life 31 Movement' Headquarter under the Family Pastoral Ministry of the CBCK.
3. 20 Million Won (ca. 200,000 US Dollars) would be spent to support and encourage the lay missionaries in Central Asia, including the publication of a Kasach-Korean dictionary.
4. It was reported that 50,000 US Dollars had been sent via Caritas Philippines for the emergency relief of the victims of recent landslide disaster in the Philippines.
5. It was reported that the Kyeonghyang Magazine had been dedicated to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI on March 22, 2006, as a part of the celebration for the centennial anniversary of the magazine. It was also reported that other events would follow, including a seminar, a ceremony, and a photo exhibition.
6. A Letter of Appointment for the Rev. Peter Pai Young-ho (ordained in 1985), new Executive Secretary of the CBCK, was conferred. A ceremony for the transfer of business between the Most Rev. Basil Cho Kyu-man, the former Executive Secretary of the CBCK, and the Rev. Peter Pai was also held.
A Symposium for the Centennial Anniversary of the Kyeonghyang Magazine Was Held
A symposium for the centennial anniversary of the Kyeonghyang Magazine was held at an auditorium of the CBCK on May 12, 2006.
The Most Rev. Paul Choi Deok-ki, President of the Committee for Social Communications, said in his congratulatory speech, "The Kyeonghyang Magazine, which has cast its fortune with the Catholic Church in Korea and the country itself, reflects the modern church history in Korea. And it also has served the Catholic Church in Korea well as a 'pastoral' magazine mirroring the zeitgeist." And he urged that the Kyeonghyang Magazine will ascertain its place as an official magazine of the Catholic Church in Korea."
Professor Youn Se-min of Kyung-In Women's College, who presented his keynote paper for this symposium, said, "The Kyeonghyang Magazine is the pride of the Catholic Church in Korea. ... It has served the Catholic Church in Korea as her voice and helped the faithful as a guiding light. ... It also has contributed to the promotion of Hangul, i.e. Korean, as it started as a magazine using exclusively Hangul." And he advised that "The magazine has to confirm its identity to keep the spirit of the foundation and editorial philosophy. It has to engage in public relation and marketing very actively with scientific strategies aiming for the non-faithful, not to mention the faithful."