Communication on October 13, 2006
l Decisions Made at the 2006 Autumn General Assembly of the CBCK
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea held its 2006 Autumn General Assembly from October 9 to 12 and decided as follows:
1. The Bishops approved the publication of Korean translation of the Catechismo della Chiesa Cattolica Compendio which was officially published by the Apostolic See. The Korean translation has been prepared by the CBCK Committee for Catechesis.
2. To promote the systematic study and cooperation in the youth ministry on the level of the episcopal conference, the Bishops newly established the CBCK Committee for Youth Ministry and elected the Most Rev. Basil Cho Kyu-man as President of the Committee.
3. The Bishops approved the "Charter of Catholic Education in Korea" which was presented by the CBCK Committee on Education to provide a basis for the realization of the Catholic spirit of education.
4. The Bishops elected the Most Rev. John Chang Yik as the successor to the Most Rev. Augustine Cheong Myeong-cho, who resigned the post of the President of the CBCK for reason of health.
l Message Issued for Peace and Reconciliation
With regard to the recent announcement of the North Korea's nuclear experiment, the Committee for the Reconciliation of the Korean People and the Committee for Justice & Peace of the CBCK issued a message to urge peace and reconciliation. Following is the full text:
Message for Peace and Reconciliation
"Peace I Leave with You" (Jn 14:27)
The recent announcement of the North Korea's nuclear experiment gave great shock and concern to the Korean people and all those who love peace. Peace is the gift the Risen Lord gave to our humanity. We cannot but feel deep sorrow for the choice of our North Korean brethren who must cooperate with us to maintain the peace. Even if it was for self-defence, nuclear weapons cannot be justified in any way. In this regard, the Catholic Church in Korea already made clear her position by issuing a statement entitled "We Want Peace, Not War!" (issued on February 14, 2003 by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea), in which we explicitly opposed the attack to Iraq conducted by the U.S.A. under the pretense of eliminating weapons of mass destruction.
For the recent several years, the South and the North have maintained peaceful exchanges, through which the two Koreas came to recognize the other not as an enemy but as one people, the same brethren. Hence no one should block the way of reconciliation which the South and the North have paved through all efforts, nor should turn back the streams of the peace and unity running through the Korean Peninsula. Furthermore, no one should make use of this situation to provoke hatred and confrontation.
For peace to take roots in Korea, the Joint Declaration on the Denuclearization of Korean Peninsular, which was adopted in 1991, must be effectively practiced. This can be achieved only through dialogue with patience. Hatred begets hatred and violence begets violence. Therefore, the Catholic Church in Korea firmly refuses any form of violence. The international society must walk the difficult way toward reconciliation and peace with patience, not through wars or confrontation but through dialogue and negotiation. Peace can be achieved only through incessant forgiveness and reconciliation.
Though the Korean Peninsular is shocked at the nuclear experiment by the North Korea, we put our trust in "Christ, our peace" (cf. Eph 2:14) without restlessness of mind, and heartly wish that we could bring the real peace in this country with all the people working for peace altogether.
O Lord, make me an instrument of Thy Peace!
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is discord, harmony.
October 13, 2006
+ Lucas Kim Woon-hoe
President
Committee for the Reconciliation of the Korean People of the CBCK
+ Boniface Choi Ki-san
President
Committee for Justice & Peace of the CBCK
l Catechism for the Aged Published
The Catechism for the Aged (and the Catechists' Guide) was published by the CBCK Committee for Catechesis (President: Most Rev. Gabriel Chang Bong-hun) for those who have difficulty in receiving regular catechesis because of their advanced age.
The need to publish this kind of specific catechism was first suggested at the 2004 Autumn General Assembly of the CBCK for the purpose of effectively coping with the aging of Catholic population in Korea. His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, in his message of blessing to Korean bishops participating in their 2006 Spring General Assembly, also showed special interest in the publication of the catechism for the aged, saying, "May this catechism help the aged to better understand the heart of the Christian message."
As the first step for preparing and publishing this specialized catechism, the Committee for Catechesis carried out a survey among the clergy, religious and the laity. According to the survey, 90% of the respondents acknowledged the need for a catechism proper to the aged catechumens.
Based on the result of this survey, the Committee tried to arouse the interest in learning doctrines, avoiding cramming way of teaching, for example, through group activities. Composed of 22 units from "Encounter" to "Preparation for the Baptismal Rite", this Catechism includes many pictures or illustrations and encourages the learners to participate in various activities.
l Cardinal Barragan Asks Cooperation of Korean Government for the Celebration of the XV World Day of the Sick
His Eminence Javier Cardinal Lozano Barragan, President of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care, made a five-day visit to Korea from October 9, to check the preparation for the 15th World Day of the Sick which is to be held in February 2007 in Korea.
On the first day of his visit, Cardinal Barragan met with Mr. Rhyu Simin, Minister of Health and Welfare of the Republic of Korea. The Most Rev. Emil Paul Tscherrig, Apostolic Nuncio to Korea, and the Most Rev. Lazzaro You Heung-sik, President of the CBCK Committee for "Caritas Corea" accompanied him.
During the meeting, Cardinal Barragan called for solidarity and collaboration of the Korean government for the international event. Briefing the minister on the purpose and detailed schedule of the event, Cardinal Barragan invited him to attend the opening ceremony and make a congratulatory remark to the representatives from various countries.
Cardinal Barragan stressed, "The Catholic Church has made efforts to make a world where the value of life can be fully respected. As a part of it, we hold conferences to deal with the issues which have worldwide relevance in the field of health care. I hope that the 15th World Day of the Sick, which will be celebrated with the theme 'The Spiritual and Pastoral Care of the Patients with Incurable Illnesses', can suggest a solution for those suffering from incurable illnesses."
The minister responded, "We know very well and appreciate that the Catholic Church has devoted herself to helping the sick and the poor for long and played an important role in the various fields of the health care ministry. We will not save our support and help so that the event can be successfully prepared and celebrated in Korea." He also promised to attend the opening ceremony to give a congratulatory address.