CBCK News
2009-08-24 12:16
2009-08-24 12:17
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Communications on May. 24, 2002



* 126 Martyrs and Confessors Confirmed as Candidates of the Beatification and Canonization

On May 20, the Episcopal Special Commission for the Beatification and Canonization of the CBCK (Chairman: Most Rev. Michael Pak) announced 126 candidates for the promotion of the beatification and canonization.
From the 222 martyrs and confessors who were presented by the dioceses to be candidates of the promotion of the beatification and canonization on the occasion to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Sinyu Persecution the Commission confirmed 124 martyrs and two confessors for the candidates and withheld 29 and excluded 69.
The Commission announced that the cause of the 124 candidates will be promoted on the Episcopal Conference level and the cause of the two confessors of Father Ch’oe Yang-eop Thomas and Kim Beom-u Thomas will be promoted by their respective diocese.
With this decision the Commission embarked the process of the promotion of the beatification and canonization for the 124 martyr candidates under the title of "First martyr Yun Ji-chung and companion martyrs, and Zhou Wen-mo martyr priest".
In the 124 candidates are included 13 existing candidates for whom the Congregation for the Causes of Saints has already declared as "No impediment".
: Yun Ji-chung Paul and four companion martyrs of the Diocese of Chonju (April 12, 1989) and Yun Yu-il Paul and seven companion martyrs of the Diocese of Suwon(October 1, 1996).
111 newly selected candidates include 43 from the Archdiocese of Seoul and the Joint Promotion Conference for the Beatification and Canonization, 20 from the Archdiocese of Taegu, 13 from the Diocese of Cheongju, 13 from the Diocese of Chonju, 10 from the Diocese of Suwon, 5 from the Diocese of Masan , 3 from the Diocese of Wonju, 2 from the Diocese of Pusan, 1 from the Diocese of Andong, and 1 from the Diocese of Cheju.
The Commission will have a meeting in July to discuss and examine the second cause of the beatification and canonization focusing on the cause of the leading figures of the introduction of the Catholic Church in Korea.
With this progress the Episcopal Special Commission for the Beatification and Canonization of the CBCK appointed Rev. Peter Ryu Han-yeong to the Postulator and Rev. Antonio Jon Tal-su, Rector of the Pontifical Korean College, to the General Postulator residing in Rome, and established under its wing the Theological Committee, the Historical Committee and the Joint Committee for Promotion and appointed respective members.
"We hope that the promotion of the beatification and canonization serves to exalt the faith and the life of our glorius faith ancestors and to renew the faith of the Church in Korea and to contribute to evangelization of Korean people," said the Most Rev. Michael Pak, Chairman of the Episcopal Special Commission for the Beatification and Canonization of the CBCK.
103 Martyr Saints of Korea were canonized on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of Catholicism in Korea by the Pope John Paul II on May 6, 1984 at Yoido, Seoul. Of these, 79, martyred during the persecutions of 1839(Gihae Persecution) and 1846(Byeong-o Persecution), were beatified in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome on July 5, 1925. The other 24, who were martyred during the persecution of 1866(Byeong-in Persecution), were beatified in Rome on October 5, 1968.


* Reduce Capital Offenses, Expand Retrials

Two Catholic priests actively working for abolition of capital punishment visited the Minister of Justice and called for juridical cooperation.
Rev. Paul Lee Chang-young, Executive Secretary of the Committee for Justice & Peace of the CBCK, and Rev. Thomas Lee Young-woo, Director of the Social Correction Apostolate Committee of the Archdiocese of Seoul, visited the Minister Paul Song Jeong-ho and asked, “the law now in force stipulates too many capital offenses, so we wish you to make efforts to reduce them step by step and to see that the condemned who plead their innocence can have opportunity of retrials.”
They also urged the Minister to “positively cooperate in substituting life imprisonment for capital punishment to build a society where human life is respected, because capital punishment does not have preventive effect for brutal crimes and possibility of misjudgement always exists."
The Minister responded, “when the criminal strongly denies his guilt, the judge sometimes cannot be convinced of sentencing him to death,” and “I will try to carefully examine the questions you requested.”
However, he expressed somewhat negative opinion that overall abolition of capital punishment is unfeasible, saying, “although I am a Catholic and know well the value of human life, the Ministry of Justice which is responsible for safeguarding social order sees that the time is not ripe for abolition of capital punishment yet.”
Thus, Rev. Thomas Lee Young-woo urged again, “we fully understand the complexity of this matter, but capital punishment must not continue any more because it is just a second murder.”
The purpose of this visit was to reaffirm the same requests asked to the former Minister Choi Gyeong-won in last January, as new Minister was appointed.


* Committee for Women Celebrates First Year of Foundation

The Subcommittee for Women under the Committee for Lay Apostolate Council of the CBCK celebrated its first year of foundation at St. Francis Education Center on May 16 with a theme of "Rise and Shine on" and called for women in the Church to take the lead to promote justice, equality, unity and solidarity of women in the Church and society.
His Eminence Stephen Cardinal Kim Soo-hwan who presided Mass for some 500 participants from all over the country said in his homily that the study on women and their promotion had to be made on the premise of deep belief in God who is the love itself.
The Mass was followed by the second part of the celebration during which the participants presented performances related to the women's issues such as the problems of run-away youth, domestic violence, female migrant workers, patriarchal headship system of family, women in the Church etc.
The Subcommittee for Women was established one year ago to promote active participation of women to the life of Church and to ameliorate women's problems internal and external of the Church.


* Event on the Day for the Blind Elderly Held

Catholic Blind Missions of Korea(President: Augustine Kim Gyeong-mu) held an event of the 11th Day for the Blind Elderly on May 15 at a civil cultural center in Seoul.
The event in which some 200 blind elderly of each diocese participated was featured by ceremony, luncheon party and entertainment and, in particular, popular singers amused the blind elderly's ears.
A blind person from the Diocese of Wonju Joseph Kim Su-won, 67, said, “It is my first time to come to Seoul and to take an elevator," and thanked the Church for the special outing.
There was also an awarding ceremony for praiseworthy children and parents. Elizabeth Lee Ju-hyeon, 19, was awarded “Sim-cheong” Award (a heroine of a Korean traditional tale who sacrificed herself to open her sightless father's eyes) for caring for her blind father despite young age. A blind widow Lee Sun-hui, 57, was also awarded for bringing up a son honorably to be a medical doctor in needy circumstances.
President Mr. Kim Gyeong-mu said in his address, “It is time for the blind elderly to voice their rights as an equal member of society,” and promised to make efforts for their faith and well-being.