Communications on Oct. 18, 2002
* A High School Principal Appointed as Auxiliary Bishop of Seoul
Pope John Paul II appointed Rev. Lucas Kim Woon-hoe as auxiliary bishop of Seoul and titular bishop of Vadesi, the Apostolic Nunciature in Seoul announced on October 12. The bishop-designate Kim is currently the principal of Catholic-run Dongseong High School.
With this appointment, the Archdiocese of Seoul has three auxiliary bishops. The Archdiocese had three auxiliary bishops before the Most Rev. Peter Kang U-il, former auxiliary bishop of Seoul, was appointed as the bishop of Cheju in July.
The bishop-designate Kim said in a press conference on October 14, "I will meditate the will and love of God who called such an unworthy man like me as a bishop and try to live up to his grace," and went on, "I will also do my best to help the Most Rev. Nicholas Cheong Jin-seok, Archbishop of Seoul, for the unity of the Archdiocese."
Bishop-designate Kim was born in Seoul in 1944 and ordained a priest in 1973 after graduating the Catholic University of Seoul. After being ordained, he taught students at Dongseong Middle School, served as pastor of two parishes in Seoul and worked as director of vocation and education in the Archdiocese of Seoul. Since 1995, he has been a principal of Dongseong High School.
The Most Rev. Cheong said, "together with all priests and the faithful, I am pleased to have a new bishop in our diocese and thank God and the Holy Father for sending him to us," and suggested the faithful "make it an opportunity to be united in order to preach the Word of God."
* "Worrying about the Commercial Abuse of Human Life," -- the Committee for the Doctrine of the Faith Made a Statement
The Committee for the Doctrine of the Faith of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea (CBCK) made a statement regarding the "Life Ethics Bill" that was finalized by the Ministry of Health & Welfare on September 23.
The 35-page statement that presented general opinion and concrete proposals for revision of each article expressed great concern over the danger for the bill to "open door to the abuse of human life for commercial profit."
In particular, it pointed out that the regulations regarding human embryos are basically "materializing or instrumentalizing human embryos," and, "by opening the possibility to 'produce' embryos for the purpose of pregnancy, it will eventually cause the mass production of spare embryos and experiments using them."
The statement, premising that it does not reject the need to cure diseases, said, "it is a clear violation of human life to use human embryos as means to treat incurable diseases."
It also urged the government to take resolute decision beyond the narrow logic that "human embryo should be regarded as human life as far as it has primitive streak, but if not, it is just a mass of cells."
Quoting the regulation that the management of human embryos can be entrusted to relevant organizations or institutions, the statement pointed out that the government lost neutrality and could not a show strong will to implement the law.
* Korean Foreign Mission Society to Focus on the Mission to China with Newly-elected Superior General
"The Korean Foreign Mission Society is now passing to the phase of actual missionary activities from the phase of forming missionaries. I feel heavy responsibility to assume this position in this important period," said Rev. Augustine Kim Myeong-dong who was elected the third superior general of the Korean Foreign Mission Society.
He also promised to promote the Society to be suitable for its mission and size. This year, the Society celebrates its 27th anniversary of foundation and the number of priest members, presently 30, will reach 50 in three years.
Established in 1975 with the spirit of vocation for global evangelization, the Korean Foreign Mission Society started to send four missionaries to the Papua New Guinea in 1981 and now 20 missionaries are working in Taiwan, China, Cambodia and Russia.
In particular, he expressed great interest in the evangelization of China, expecting that China would be the biggest field for evangelization in Asia.
Asking for support and cooperation for missionary work, he said, "I will try to wisely draw the potential energy for evangelization from the Catholic Church in Korea."
He joined the Society in 1978 and was ordained a priest in 1989, and since then he has been working in the Papua New Guinea and China except for two years of serving as Superior of the Korea Foreign Mission House of Formation.
* Cardinal Stephen Kim's Activities Still Going on
On October 15 Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan participated in a Buddhist memorial service and gave a congratulatory message.
The memorial service was held at Doseonsa, a Buddhist temple located in north of Seoul, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Ven. Cheongdam.
Cardinal Kim, recalling that he had met Ven. Cheongdam from 1968 to 1971 for interreligious dialogue, said, "he was a genuine 'seeker after truth' who continuously pursued truth and looked for ways."
Ven. Cheongdam who led the purification of the Buddhism was very enthusiastic for the interreligious dialogue. Indeed, he had participated in the Easter Sunday Mass celebrated at Myongdong Cathedral of Seoul in 1967 and was elected as the first president of the Association of Religions in Korea in 1971.
Earlier than this, Cardinal Kim also baptized 12 lawyers on October 14. He said in his homily, "to be born again through baptism means to be given eternal life, that is, the life of God," and emphasized, "when we believe in God and live as His children, we can be true meaning of human and get eternal life."
Pope John Paul II appointed Rev. Lucas Kim Woon-hoe as auxiliary bishop of Seoul and titular bishop of Vadesi, the Apostolic Nunciature in Seoul announced on October 12. The bishop-designate Kim is currently the principal of Catholic-run Dongseong High School.
With this appointment, the Archdiocese of Seoul has three auxiliary bishops. The Archdiocese had three auxiliary bishops before the Most Rev. Peter Kang U-il, former auxiliary bishop of Seoul, was appointed as the bishop of Cheju in July.
The bishop-designate Kim said in a press conference on October 14, "I will meditate the will and love of God who called such an unworthy man like me as a bishop and try to live up to his grace," and went on, "I will also do my best to help the Most Rev. Nicholas Cheong Jin-seok, Archbishop of Seoul, for the unity of the Archdiocese."
Bishop-designate Kim was born in Seoul in 1944 and ordained a priest in 1973 after graduating the Catholic University of Seoul. After being ordained, he taught students at Dongseong Middle School, served as pastor of two parishes in Seoul and worked as director of vocation and education in the Archdiocese of Seoul. Since 1995, he has been a principal of Dongseong High School.
The Most Rev. Cheong said, "together with all priests and the faithful, I am pleased to have a new bishop in our diocese and thank God and the Holy Father for sending him to us," and suggested the faithful "make it an opportunity to be united in order to preach the Word of God."
* "Worrying about the Commercial Abuse of Human Life," -- the Committee for the Doctrine of the Faith Made a Statement
The Committee for the Doctrine of the Faith of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea (CBCK) made a statement regarding the "Life Ethics Bill" that was finalized by the Ministry of Health & Welfare on September 23.
The 35-page statement that presented general opinion and concrete proposals for revision of each article expressed great concern over the danger for the bill to "open door to the abuse of human life for commercial profit."
In particular, it pointed out that the regulations regarding human embryos are basically "materializing or instrumentalizing human embryos," and, "by opening the possibility to 'produce' embryos for the purpose of pregnancy, it will eventually cause the mass production of spare embryos and experiments using them."
The statement, premising that it does not reject the need to cure diseases, said, "it is a clear violation of human life to use human embryos as means to treat incurable diseases."
It also urged the government to take resolute decision beyond the narrow logic that "human embryo should be regarded as human life as far as it has primitive streak, but if not, it is just a mass of cells."
Quoting the regulation that the management of human embryos can be entrusted to relevant organizations or institutions, the statement pointed out that the government lost neutrality and could not a show strong will to implement the law.
* Korean Foreign Mission Society to Focus on the Mission to China with Newly-elected Superior General
"The Korean Foreign Mission Society is now passing to the phase of actual missionary activities from the phase of forming missionaries. I feel heavy responsibility to assume this position in this important period," said Rev. Augustine Kim Myeong-dong who was elected the third superior general of the Korean Foreign Mission Society.
He also promised to promote the Society to be suitable for its mission and size. This year, the Society celebrates its 27th anniversary of foundation and the number of priest members, presently 30, will reach 50 in three years.
Established in 1975 with the spirit of vocation for global evangelization, the Korean Foreign Mission Society started to send four missionaries to the Papua New Guinea in 1981 and now 20 missionaries are working in Taiwan, China, Cambodia and Russia.
In particular, he expressed great interest in the evangelization of China, expecting that China would be the biggest field for evangelization in Asia.
Asking for support and cooperation for missionary work, he said, "I will try to wisely draw the potential energy for evangelization from the Catholic Church in Korea."
He joined the Society in 1978 and was ordained a priest in 1989, and since then he has been working in the Papua New Guinea and China except for two years of serving as Superior of the Korea Foreign Mission House of Formation.
* Cardinal Stephen Kim's Activities Still Going on
On October 15 Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan participated in a Buddhist memorial service and gave a congratulatory message.
The memorial service was held at Doseonsa, a Buddhist temple located in north of Seoul, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Ven. Cheongdam.
Cardinal Kim, recalling that he had met Ven. Cheongdam from 1968 to 1971 for interreligious dialogue, said, "he was a genuine 'seeker after truth' who continuously pursued truth and looked for ways."
Ven. Cheongdam who led the purification of the Buddhism was very enthusiastic for the interreligious dialogue. Indeed, he had participated in the Easter Sunday Mass celebrated at Myongdong Cathedral of Seoul in 1967 and was elected as the first president of the Association of Religions in Korea in 1971.
Earlier than this, Cardinal Kim also baptized 12 lawyers on October 14. He said in his homily, "to be born again through baptism means to be given eternal life, that is, the life of God," and emphasized, "when we believe in God and live as His children, we can be true meaning of human and get eternal life."