Communication on June 30, 2006
* Cardinal Cheong and Priests in the Archdiocese of Seoul Pledge Organ Donation
On the occasion of the World Day for Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests on June 23, 2006, His Eminence Nicholas Cardinal Cheong Jinsuk, Archbishop of Seoul, and all the Archdiocesan priests pledged posthumous organ donation. It is one of the pro-life projects which the Eucharistic Congress of the Archdiocese is promoting.
Cardinal Cheong said, "Posthumous organ donation is a supreme expression of love and happiness since it is a sharing of life, the most precious gift we received from God. Through this sharing, both the donors and the receivers can be happy."
He also called on the faithful to participate in the organ donation, saying, "There are thousands of patients who are waiting for donated organ, but the number of donors is pretty insufficient. Posthumous organ donation is a good way of practicing love without great burden, so I urge everybody, as well as all Catholics, to actively participate in this practice of love and to experience the happiness of sharing."
Mr. Thomas Han Hong-sun, president of the Lay Apostolate Council of Korea, said, "The Council will soon propose some concrete ways so that lay Catholics also can actively take part in organ donation campaign following the good examples of priests."
* Congress of Liturgical Music & Musicians Held
The 2nd Congress of Liturgical Music & Musicians was held on June 24 at the Graduate School of the Sacred Music of the Catholic University of Korea to renew the awareness of liturgical musicians to their mission and to look for ways for the development of liturgical music of the Catholic Church in Korea.
The Most Rev. Joseph Lee Han-taek, S.J., President of the CBCK Committee for Liturgy, delivered the keynote address and said, "We have many liturgical musicians who are qualified and serve the Church zealously, but it seems that collaboration is lacking among the musicians. For the development of liturgical music, they should make a united effort." "It is most important for liturgical musicians to realize that they have received the gift of the Spirit," he added.
The participants, composed of choirmasters, choir members, accompanists or organists in parishes or associations, exchanged opinions about the draft of the Guidelines for Liturgical Music for the Mass in the Catholic Church in Korea, which was presented by the Rev. Balthasar Kim Jong-heon, a member of the preparatory committee to establish the Subcommittee of Sacred Music under the Committee for Liturgy. He said, "The reason why the spirit of the sacred music could not be fully embodied in the Church in Korea is the poor understanding of the faithful on liturgy and liturgical music, on their definition and functions."
The Rev. Paul Paek Nam-yong, also a member of the preparatory committee and the Dean of the Graduate School of the Sacred Music of the Catholic University of Korea, gave a lecture on the theme of "The Rhyme of the Psalms and the Meter in Korean Language."
The participants could express diverse opinions in small group discussion, including, Traditional Sacred Music and Gregorian Chant; Liturgical Music of Korean Traditional Music Style; Contemporary Christian Music; Liturgy of the Word; Liturgy of the Eucharist.
On the occasion of the World Day for Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests on June 23, 2006, His Eminence Nicholas Cardinal Cheong Jinsuk, Archbishop of Seoul, and all the Archdiocesan priests pledged posthumous organ donation. It is one of the pro-life projects which the Eucharistic Congress of the Archdiocese is promoting.
Cardinal Cheong said, "Posthumous organ donation is a supreme expression of love and happiness since it is a sharing of life, the most precious gift we received from God. Through this sharing, both the donors and the receivers can be happy."
He also called on the faithful to participate in the organ donation, saying, "There are thousands of patients who are waiting for donated organ, but the number of donors is pretty insufficient. Posthumous organ donation is a good way of practicing love without great burden, so I urge everybody, as well as all Catholics, to actively participate in this practice of love and to experience the happiness of sharing."
Mr. Thomas Han Hong-sun, president of the Lay Apostolate Council of Korea, said, "The Council will soon propose some concrete ways so that lay Catholics also can actively take part in organ donation campaign following the good examples of priests."
* Congress of Liturgical Music & Musicians Held
The 2nd Congress of Liturgical Music & Musicians was held on June 24 at the Graduate School of the Sacred Music of the Catholic University of Korea to renew the awareness of liturgical musicians to their mission and to look for ways for the development of liturgical music of the Catholic Church in Korea.
The Most Rev. Joseph Lee Han-taek, S.J., President of the CBCK Committee for Liturgy, delivered the keynote address and said, "We have many liturgical musicians who are qualified and serve the Church zealously, but it seems that collaboration is lacking among the musicians. For the development of liturgical music, they should make a united effort." "It is most important for liturgical musicians to realize that they have received the gift of the Spirit," he added.
The participants, composed of choirmasters, choir members, accompanists or organists in parishes or associations, exchanged opinions about the draft of the Guidelines for Liturgical Music for the Mass in the Catholic Church in Korea, which was presented by the Rev. Balthasar Kim Jong-heon, a member of the preparatory committee to establish the Subcommittee of Sacred Music under the Committee for Liturgy. He said, "The reason why the spirit of the sacred music could not be fully embodied in the Church in Korea is the poor understanding of the faithful on liturgy and liturgical music, on their definition and functions."
The Rev. Paul Paek Nam-yong, also a member of the preparatory committee and the Dean of the Graduate School of the Sacred Music of the Catholic University of Korea, gave a lecture on the theme of "The Rhyme of the Psalms and the Meter in Korean Language."
The participants could express diverse opinions in small group discussion, including, Traditional Sacred Music and Gregorian Chant; Liturgical Music of Korean Traditional Music Style; Contemporary Christian Music; Liturgy of the Word; Liturgy of the Eucharist.