Communications on Jul. 5, 2002
* South Korean Catholics Share 'World Cup Spirit of Peace and Harmony of Humanity' with their North Korean Counterparts by Sending them 2002 Footballs
Delegates of the Diocese of Suwon visited North Korea from June 25 to 29 so as to share with North Korean brethren the World Cup spirit of peace and harmony of humanity, which South Korea and Japan successfully hosted from May 31 to June 30.
Composed of 14 clergy and lay faithful including the Most Rev. Paul Choi Duk-ki, Bishop of Suwon, the delegation celebrated Mass at Jangchung church in Pyeongyang and visited Yanggang-do area where 2002 footballs of peace had been distributed.
During the visit the Committee for Reconciliation of Korean People of the Diocese of Suwon met with North Korean delegation and they reached provisional agreement to open a channel for the Diocese of Suwon to independently provide the aid to North Korea.
In regard to the visit, the Most Rev. Choi hoped the visit can serve as an opportunity to strengthen the reconciliation and cooperation of South and North Korea.
He said, "What is most important for reconciliation and unity of Korean people is the mutual trust and understanding, and continual dialogue and exchanges," and went on "for this we should meet as frequently as possible, and South Koreans should go to the North and North Korean should come to the South."
However, the Most Rev. Choi expressed some concerns over the religion situation in North Korea, saying, "there is no priest and no seminarian in North Korea, so we made a suggestion to select candidates and send them to China for priestly formation."
The Most Rev. Choi who experienced during the visit that all the Koreans are brothers and sisters asked the faithful to remember northern brethen in prayer.
The Diocese of Suwon has developed substantial relief aid programs for North Korea such as sending living necessaries and winter underclothes, and will continue to expand the programs at the diocesan level.
* ACRP to Propose the Inter-Korean Joint Declaration of June 15 as a Model of Reconciliation in Asia
The Asian Conference on Religion and Peace(ACRP) held its Sixth Assembly in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, from June 24 to 28 and proposed in its closing declaration the Inter-Korean Joint Declaration of June 15 as a model of reconciliation and peace for Asian nations in conflicts.
Some 300 religion leaders and delegates from 20 countries participated in the assembly and dealt with issues under the general theme of "Asia, the Reconciler."
The five sub-themes were; Disarmament and Security; Economy and Ecology; Human Dignity and Human Rights; Women, Children and Partnership; Education and Service for Peace.
During the assembly, a New Board was formed, for which former Prime Minister of Pakistan Mr. Mir Nawaz Khan Marwat and a Korean Won Buddhist leader Mr. Kim Seong-gon were elected as President and Secretary General, respectively. In addition, Korean Conference on Religion and Peace(KCRP) was appointed as the Secretariat.
Prof. Byeon Jin-heung, Secretary General of KCRP, said, "the appointment of KCRP as the secretariat of ACRP is significant in that Korea will lead the interreligious movement for peace in Asia," and noted that "internal unity and solidarity and support are required to carry out this responsibility."
For the last five years Japanese Conference on Religion and Peace assumed the role of the Secretariat.
The Assembly takes place every five years, and the Korean Catholic delegation participated in the assembly for the first time in compliance with the decision of the Committee for Promoting Christian Unity & Interreligious Dialogue(President: Most Rev. Boniface Choi Ki-san) of the CBCK(Catholic Bishops'Conference of Korea).
This Sixth Assembly was especially meaningful for South and North Korean participants because it provided good opportunity for them to enhance their solidarity and cooperation. During the assembly they shared friendly time at dinner tables and attended prayer meetings together.
* Christian Life Community to Open Foreign Workers' Human Rights Center
On June 29, Jesuit-run Christian Life Community(CLC) in Korea opened Foreign Workers' Human Rights Center in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do and appointed Rosa Lee Yeong-hui to the director.
The Center is expected to serve some 10,000 foreign workers residing in Yongin area, south of Seoul, and focus its activities on foreign workers' welfare including counseling on civil and criminal affairs, education, cultural adjustment, information, medical assistance and other related areas.
The Center appointed to the advisory committee the staff members of the CLC's head office, medical staff of Yongin Severance Hospital and Catholic juristic persons.
The CLC that is an international Catholic organization based on the spirituality of St. Ignatius de Loyola has contributed to promotion of social justice for the poor and peace in Korean society through grassroots education, option for the poor and Gospel-centered life.
* Korean Theologians to Seek Breaking from 'Elite-Centered Theology'
The Catholic Theological Association of Korea held its first academic conference on June 25 at the Faculty of Theology of the Catholic University of Daegu and paved new ways toward promotion of quality of Korean theology.
Some 110 priest-professors from the seven Catholic Universities in Korea participated in the conference and presented treaties and critiques on various subjects such as "Can we still talk on moral theology?", "Problems of priestly formation process and alternatives," "Theology of social welfare."
Study on theology of social welfare attracted most attention of the audience for it was the first academic study on social welfare based on theological and ecclesiastical view.
In perspective to break from elite-entered theology and to popularize it the Association opened its door to the laity by introducing associate membership.
The actual membership of the Association is granted to priest-professors with master's degree or higher ones, faculty of theological college or professors of related sciences.
"By breaking from 'elite-centered theology' that is attached to theoretical curiosity of scholars the Association wants to play a catalytic role to advance generalization of Catholic theology so that it serves for evangelization of Korean people," said Rev. Sye Kyeong-don, chairman of the Association.
"So far, theology has remained within the boundary of lecture room being far from the laity, but it should make a diagnosis of problems in real life of the Church and the faithful through continual study and research, and indicate appropriate solutions," said Rev. Lee Kyeong-su, academic chairman of the Association.
Delegates of the Diocese of Suwon visited North Korea from June 25 to 29 so as to share with North Korean brethren the World Cup spirit of peace and harmony of humanity, which South Korea and Japan successfully hosted from May 31 to June 30.
Composed of 14 clergy and lay faithful including the Most Rev. Paul Choi Duk-ki, Bishop of Suwon, the delegation celebrated Mass at Jangchung church in Pyeongyang and visited Yanggang-do area where 2002 footballs of peace had been distributed.
During the visit the Committee for Reconciliation of Korean People of the Diocese of Suwon met with North Korean delegation and they reached provisional agreement to open a channel for the Diocese of Suwon to independently provide the aid to North Korea.
In regard to the visit, the Most Rev. Choi hoped the visit can serve as an opportunity to strengthen the reconciliation and cooperation of South and North Korea.
He said, "What is most important for reconciliation and unity of Korean people is the mutual trust and understanding, and continual dialogue and exchanges," and went on "for this we should meet as frequently as possible, and South Koreans should go to the North and North Korean should come to the South."
However, the Most Rev. Choi expressed some concerns over the religion situation in North Korea, saying, "there is no priest and no seminarian in North Korea, so we made a suggestion to select candidates and send them to China for priestly formation."
The Most Rev. Choi who experienced during the visit that all the Koreans are brothers and sisters asked the faithful to remember northern brethen in prayer.
The Diocese of Suwon has developed substantial relief aid programs for North Korea such as sending living necessaries and winter underclothes, and will continue to expand the programs at the diocesan level.
* ACRP to Propose the Inter-Korean Joint Declaration of June 15 as a Model of Reconciliation in Asia
The Asian Conference on Religion and Peace(ACRP) held its Sixth Assembly in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, from June 24 to 28 and proposed in its closing declaration the Inter-Korean Joint Declaration of June 15 as a model of reconciliation and peace for Asian nations in conflicts.
Some 300 religion leaders and delegates from 20 countries participated in the assembly and dealt with issues under the general theme of "Asia, the Reconciler."
The five sub-themes were; Disarmament and Security; Economy and Ecology; Human Dignity and Human Rights; Women, Children and Partnership; Education and Service for Peace.
During the assembly, a New Board was formed, for which former Prime Minister of Pakistan Mr. Mir Nawaz Khan Marwat and a Korean Won Buddhist leader Mr. Kim Seong-gon were elected as President and Secretary General, respectively. In addition, Korean Conference on Religion and Peace(KCRP) was appointed as the Secretariat.
Prof. Byeon Jin-heung, Secretary General of KCRP, said, "the appointment of KCRP as the secretariat of ACRP is significant in that Korea will lead the interreligious movement for peace in Asia," and noted that "internal unity and solidarity and support are required to carry out this responsibility."
For the last five years Japanese Conference on Religion and Peace assumed the role of the Secretariat.
The Assembly takes place every five years, and the Korean Catholic delegation participated in the assembly for the first time in compliance with the decision of the Committee for Promoting Christian Unity & Interreligious Dialogue(President: Most Rev. Boniface Choi Ki-san) of the CBCK(Catholic Bishops'Conference of Korea).
This Sixth Assembly was especially meaningful for South and North Korean participants because it provided good opportunity for them to enhance their solidarity and cooperation. During the assembly they shared friendly time at dinner tables and attended prayer meetings together.
* Christian Life Community to Open Foreign Workers' Human Rights Center
On June 29, Jesuit-run Christian Life Community(CLC) in Korea opened Foreign Workers' Human Rights Center in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do and appointed Rosa Lee Yeong-hui to the director.
The Center is expected to serve some 10,000 foreign workers residing in Yongin area, south of Seoul, and focus its activities on foreign workers' welfare including counseling on civil and criminal affairs, education, cultural adjustment, information, medical assistance and other related areas.
The Center appointed to the advisory committee the staff members of the CLC's head office, medical staff of Yongin Severance Hospital and Catholic juristic persons.
The CLC that is an international Catholic organization based on the spirituality of St. Ignatius de Loyola has contributed to promotion of social justice for the poor and peace in Korean society through grassroots education, option for the poor and Gospel-centered life.
* Korean Theologians to Seek Breaking from 'Elite-Centered Theology'
The Catholic Theological Association of Korea held its first academic conference on June 25 at the Faculty of Theology of the Catholic University of Daegu and paved new ways toward promotion of quality of Korean theology.
Some 110 priest-professors from the seven Catholic Universities in Korea participated in the conference and presented treaties and critiques on various subjects such as "Can we still talk on moral theology?", "Problems of priestly formation process and alternatives," "Theology of social welfare."
Study on theology of social welfare attracted most attention of the audience for it was the first academic study on social welfare based on theological and ecclesiastical view.
In perspective to break from elite-entered theology and to popularize it the Association opened its door to the laity by introducing associate membership.
The actual membership of the Association is granted to priest-professors with master's degree or higher ones, faculty of theological college or professors of related sciences.
"By breaking from 'elite-centered theology' that is attached to theoretical curiosity of scholars the Association wants to play a catalytic role to advance generalization of Catholic theology so that it serves for evangelization of Korean people," said Rev. Sye Kyeong-don, chairman of the Association.
"So far, theology has remained within the boundary of lecture room being far from the laity, but it should make a diagnosis of problems in real life of the Church and the faithful through continual study and research, and indicate appropriate solutions," said Rev. Lee Kyeong-su, academic chairman of the Association.