Communications on Dec. 22, 2001
* Korean Religion Leaders Met in New York to Pray for Peace
In New York, where the tragic terrorist attacks happened on Sep. 11, Korean religion leaders of Catholics, Protestants, Buddhists, Won Buddhists and Muslims living in U.S.A. met together to pray for the peace in the world and held a symposium with a theme of "Terrorist Attacks on Sep. 11".
The prayer meeting for peace sponsored by the New York branch office of the Pyeonghwa Shinmun, the Catholic Weekly, was held on Dec. 15 at the St. Paul Chong Ha-sang parish in Queens.
The participants issued a joint statement and urged all the powers of the world and the U.S.A. to be freed from the temptation to maintain peace by armed force but to pursue peace based on love, justice, understanding and forgiveness.
The statement expressed deep concern about the fact that the terrorist attacks were understood as religious and cultural conflicts by people, and this distorted conception was provoking racial prejudices and ethnic conflicts including anti-immigrant feeling in certain regions in the U.S.A., and called all religion leaders in the world to show generosity to Afghan refugees in suffering.
The participants agreed to work together to promote justice, common good and reconciliation in the society of U.S.A., which is a multi-cultural society, by respecting differences of other religions.
At the symposium the participants reflected over the Sep.11 terrorist attacks and pointed out, "This is not to do simply with religious and cultural conflicts, but more than that. The U.S.A. that pursues exclusively its power and interest by making the poor countries its economic colony has great part of responsibility in the tragedy." and went on, "In order to terminate the terrorism from the earth and to realize peace in the world the haves have to share their possessions with non-haves, and live out justice."
* Two Auxiliary Bishops Appointed for Archdiocese of Seoul
On Dec. 12, the Most Rev. Giovanni Battista Morandini, Apostolic Nuncio in Korea, made public that Rev. Andrew Yeom Soo-jung and Rev. Joseph Lee Han-taek, S.J. were appointed as Auxiliary Bishops of the Archdiocese of Seoul by Pope John Paul II.
This appointment is of historic meaning for the Archdiocese of Seoul that celebrates its 170th anniversary of establishment, and significant in that the first Korean Religious Bishop was created.
With this appointment, the Archdiocese of Seoul has three auxiliary bishops and four Monsignors who will play important roles in effective development of the Archdiocese responding to rapid changes of times.
This new appointment of two auxiliary bishops is expected to contribute to the successful diocesan Synod including effective pastoral ministry for parishes and social apostolates.
The newly appointed Bishop Andrew Yeom was born in 1943 and ordained a priest in 1970. He, presently the pastor of Mok-dong parish, served as parish priest and chancellor of the Archdiocese of Seoul from 1992 to 1998, experiencing both parish ministry and special pastoral office. The other bishop-designate Joseph Lee was born in 1934 and ordained a priest in 1971 after graduating from Saint Louis University in U.S.A., and currently serves as president of Jesuit-run Sogang University in Seoul.
The new Bishops promised to make their best efforts to assist the Most Rev. Nicholas Cheong with their rich experiences, and called for prayer and concern for them to live faithfully as the servants of Christ.
* Bishops' Messages for Christmas
With Christmas just around the corner, each Diocesan Bishop issued message for Christmas, celebrating the birth of King of peace and love and hoping for the peace of Christ all over the world.
This year, in particular, the Bishops expressed concern over the conflicts and disputes of the world caused by the terror in U.S.A. and war in Afghanistan and asked the faithful to pray for the peace and justice in the world.
The Most Rev. Nicholas Cheong, Archbishop of Seoul, stressed, "Christian first should live honest and sincere lives following the Word of God", and invited people to participate in the "Upright Movement" aimed at restoring the degraded morality and making world a better place in the eyes of God.
The Most Rev. Paul Ri, Archbishop of Taegu, encouraged the faithful to live with hope despite the hardships of life. "As the Redeemer came to us, we will conquer the darkness of secular world", he emphasized.
The Most Rev. Andrew Choi, Archbishop of Kwangju, deplored that "This year, we had to witness culture of death swallowed culture of life", and asked people to renew the commitment to become the light of the world.
* Peace Solidarity Network Necessary for Korea and Japan
"With regard to the Korea-Japan relationship, it is time to build up a strong effective peace solidarity and friendly ties of collaboration to oppose every single element of destruction of peace and rightist leaning of Japan." said Bishop Michael Goro Matsuura, President of Japan Catholic Council for Justice and Peace, who headed the Japanese Christian delegation team to visit Korea.
From Dec. 3 to 5, eighteen Christian representatives from Catholic and Protestant Churches in Japan visited their Korean counterparts and discussed question of peace in Asia, especially, the revision of the controversial junior high school history textbooks.
In a joint declaration the Japanese delegation expressed concerns about Japan's rightist leaning and asked Korean people forgiveness, "We painfully recognize that Japan has again embarked on the road to war. When Japan was imperialistic, it colonized Korea and caused its people terrible pains and sufferings. At that time, the Christian Churches in Japan did not do much to prevent wrong doings of Japan such as forced worship at Shinto shrines. Japanese Christians ignored the Biblical injunctions to worship only God and to love one's neighbor. This was a grave sin. On this occasion we deeply repent this sin before God and our neighbors. We ask Korean people a sincere forgiveness."”
They also expressed worries about signs of return of the military imperialism by pointing out compulsory use of the Rising Sun flag and Kimigayo; Prime Minister Koizumi's visit to Yasukuni Shrine; writing distorted junior high school history textbooks; resurrection of Self-Defense Forces and sending it overseas etc.
The declaration pointed out, "Japan wants to ignore its mistakes in the past and embellished war. We the Japanese Christians feel a heavy responsibility in that we could not stop this new and dangerous move to the right. We pledge to continue our efforts for peace and reconciliation while keeping in mind our past history."
In New York, where the tragic terrorist attacks happened on Sep. 11, Korean religion leaders of Catholics, Protestants, Buddhists, Won Buddhists and Muslims living in U.S.A. met together to pray for the peace in the world and held a symposium with a theme of "Terrorist Attacks on Sep. 11".
The prayer meeting for peace sponsored by the New York branch office of the Pyeonghwa Shinmun, the Catholic Weekly, was held on Dec. 15 at the St. Paul Chong Ha-sang parish in Queens.
The participants issued a joint statement and urged all the powers of the world and the U.S.A. to be freed from the temptation to maintain peace by armed force but to pursue peace based on love, justice, understanding and forgiveness.
The statement expressed deep concern about the fact that the terrorist attacks were understood as religious and cultural conflicts by people, and this distorted conception was provoking racial prejudices and ethnic conflicts including anti-immigrant feeling in certain regions in the U.S.A., and called all religion leaders in the world to show generosity to Afghan refugees in suffering.
The participants agreed to work together to promote justice, common good and reconciliation in the society of U.S.A., which is a multi-cultural society, by respecting differences of other religions.
At the symposium the participants reflected over the Sep.11 terrorist attacks and pointed out, "This is not to do simply with religious and cultural conflicts, but more than that. The U.S.A. that pursues exclusively its power and interest by making the poor countries its economic colony has great part of responsibility in the tragedy." and went on, "In order to terminate the terrorism from the earth and to realize peace in the world the haves have to share their possessions with non-haves, and live out justice."
* Two Auxiliary Bishops Appointed for Archdiocese of Seoul
On Dec. 12, the Most Rev. Giovanni Battista Morandini, Apostolic Nuncio in Korea, made public that Rev. Andrew Yeom Soo-jung and Rev. Joseph Lee Han-taek, S.J. were appointed as Auxiliary Bishops of the Archdiocese of Seoul by Pope John Paul II.
This appointment is of historic meaning for the Archdiocese of Seoul that celebrates its 170th anniversary of establishment, and significant in that the first Korean Religious Bishop was created.
With this appointment, the Archdiocese of Seoul has three auxiliary bishops and four Monsignors who will play important roles in effective development of the Archdiocese responding to rapid changes of times.
This new appointment of two auxiliary bishops is expected to contribute to the successful diocesan Synod including effective pastoral ministry for parishes and social apostolates.
The newly appointed Bishop Andrew Yeom was born in 1943 and ordained a priest in 1970. He, presently the pastor of Mok-dong parish, served as parish priest and chancellor of the Archdiocese of Seoul from 1992 to 1998, experiencing both parish ministry and special pastoral office. The other bishop-designate Joseph Lee was born in 1934 and ordained a priest in 1971 after graduating from Saint Louis University in U.S.A., and currently serves as president of Jesuit-run Sogang University in Seoul.
The new Bishops promised to make their best efforts to assist the Most Rev. Nicholas Cheong with their rich experiences, and called for prayer and concern for them to live faithfully as the servants of Christ.
* Bishops' Messages for Christmas
With Christmas just around the corner, each Diocesan Bishop issued message for Christmas, celebrating the birth of King of peace and love and hoping for the peace of Christ all over the world.
This year, in particular, the Bishops expressed concern over the conflicts and disputes of the world caused by the terror in U.S.A. and war in Afghanistan and asked the faithful to pray for the peace and justice in the world.
The Most Rev. Nicholas Cheong, Archbishop of Seoul, stressed, "Christian first should live honest and sincere lives following the Word of God", and invited people to participate in the "Upright Movement" aimed at restoring the degraded morality and making world a better place in the eyes of God.
The Most Rev. Paul Ri, Archbishop of Taegu, encouraged the faithful to live with hope despite the hardships of life. "As the Redeemer came to us, we will conquer the darkness of secular world", he emphasized.
The Most Rev. Andrew Choi, Archbishop of Kwangju, deplored that "This year, we had to witness culture of death swallowed culture of life", and asked people to renew the commitment to become the light of the world.
* Peace Solidarity Network Necessary for Korea and Japan
"With regard to the Korea-Japan relationship, it is time to build up a strong effective peace solidarity and friendly ties of collaboration to oppose every single element of destruction of peace and rightist leaning of Japan." said Bishop Michael Goro Matsuura, President of Japan Catholic Council for Justice and Peace, who headed the Japanese Christian delegation team to visit Korea.
From Dec. 3 to 5, eighteen Christian representatives from Catholic and Protestant Churches in Japan visited their Korean counterparts and discussed question of peace in Asia, especially, the revision of the controversial junior high school history textbooks.
In a joint declaration the Japanese delegation expressed concerns about Japan's rightist leaning and asked Korean people forgiveness, "We painfully recognize that Japan has again embarked on the road to war. When Japan was imperialistic, it colonized Korea and caused its people terrible pains and sufferings. At that time, the Christian Churches in Japan did not do much to prevent wrong doings of Japan such as forced worship at Shinto shrines. Japanese Christians ignored the Biblical injunctions to worship only God and to love one's neighbor. This was a grave sin. On this occasion we deeply repent this sin before God and our neighbors. We ask Korean people a sincere forgiveness."”
They also expressed worries about signs of return of the military imperialism by pointing out compulsory use of the Rising Sun flag and Kimigayo; Prime Minister Koizumi's visit to Yasukuni Shrine; writing distorted junior high school history textbooks; resurrection of Self-Defense Forces and sending it overseas etc.
The declaration pointed out, "Japan wants to ignore its mistakes in the past and embellished war. We the Japanese Christians feel a heavy responsibility in that we could not stop this new and dangerous move to the right. We pledge to continue our efforts for peace and reconciliation while keeping in mind our past history."