Rt. Rev. Abbot Simon Petro Ri Hyong-u, O.S.B., Apostolic Administrator of Territorial Abbacy of Tokwon and President of the Biblical Committee of the CBCK, issued a message for 2009 Biblical Week, which will be celebrated on November 22, 2009, the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King.

In the message entitled "The priesthood of Christ is practiced in the Word.", Abbot Ri said, "All Christians have the right and duty of common priesthood to participate in the priesthood of Christ, as the baptized, by regeneration and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, are consecrated as a spiritual house and a holy priesthood." He also said, "The proclamation of the Word by a priest can find its most fruitful culmination in the liturgical homily. The priest must satisfy the spiritual hunger and thirst of the faithful with the homily."

Abbot Ri added, "Though the homily of a priest is central for the faithful to be mature in faith, they cannot learn everything from it at once. Therefore, they have to learn in a better way, individually or collectively, so that they can harvest the abundant fruits of the divine Word. It is the proper intention of the 'priesthood of the Word' that the faithful become mature with the renewal through the Word of God, and, furthermore, dedicate themselves to the evangelization of the world for the sake of the Kingdom of God."

In conclusion, Abbot Ri said, "As a Christian we have to abandon our ego and fill the inner void with the Word in full, so that the Word can accomplish the work of the Lord in ourselves as one body. In this way, we can practice the true priesthood of Christ, living with the Word in one body as the unshakable faithful."