CBCK News
2009-08-24 13:48
2009-08-24 13:48
11,016
Communications on Nov. 1, 2002
* Committee for the Justice & Peace Sends Presidential Candidates Open Inquires

The Committee for the Justice & Peace of the CBCK publicly inquired of four presidential candidates about their general opinion and future policy for national administration to estimate their eligibility in the light of the teachings of the Catholic Church.
On October 24, the Committee sends the open inquiring letters to four presidential hopefuls, Lee Hoi-chang of the majority Grand National Party, Roh Moo-hyun of Millennium Democratic Party, Kwon Young-ghil of Democratic Labor Party, and Chung Mong-joon of National Unity 21 regarding 16 issues including foreign policy, relation of South and North Koreas, human rights, welfare, foreign workers, prevention of corruption, life ethics, etc.
It is the first time for the Episcopal Conference to send presidential contenders open inquiries and the Committee asked them to reply by November 6.
The replies will be carried on the Samok, a monthly magazine published by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea, in December.
In this regard, Rev. Paul Lee Chang-young, Executive Secretary of the Committee for the Justice & Peace, said, "we planned this to let the faithful and other people know the opinion and policy of the presidential candidates and have criteria to select right president."
With regard to foreign policy, the Committee asked the presidential hopefuls how they would respond to the possible request of the U.S. to cooperate in the attack to Iraq and what their opinion is on a series of military actions of the U.S. And they are asked to answer what kind of effort they would make to revise the poisonous elements of the Korea-U.S. SOFA, and what they think of the incident of two middle school girls killed by the U.S. armed vehicle and the U.S. response to this matter.
The Committee also inquired what the presidential candidates think about the recently changed attitude of North Korea, as shown in the participation in Busan Asian Games, designation of Shinuiju Special Administrative Region, re-connection of railroad and revealing nuke program, etc., and what they would do concretely for the peace in the Korean Peninsula and peaceful reunification of the nation.
For the matter of human rights, the Committee brought up the questions of 'industrial trainee system', human rights of the disabled, the conscientious objection and reasonable period of military service, the abrogation of National Security Law, and the abolition of the capital punishment.
As for the life ethics, the Committee asked the presidential candidates whether they think it proper or not to rescind the exceptional clause of the "Life Ethics Bill" prepared by the Ministry of Health & Welfare, what about vesting the Life Ethics Committee with the voting rights, and their general opinion on the bio-technology and ethical approach to it.


* The First National Congress of the Laity Held

Forty-five lay missionaries who participated in the first National Congress of the Laity held at Uijeongbu City from October 22 to 24 by the Pontifical Missionary Societies in Korea(National Director: Rev. John Kim Jong-su), asked in the final statement that the concern of the local Church and supra-diocesan solidarity is urgent for lay missionaries to maintain and promote their identity and sense of duty.
In detail, they asked the establishment of 'National Conference of Lay Missionaries'(tentative name), arrangement of national meetings on a regular basis, financial support for the formation of missionaries and their ongoing formation. They also urged positive concern of the local church for the welfare of lay missionaries.
During the meeting which was held to establish the identity of lay missionaries and exchange information among them, the participants discussed various issues including the short-term and long-term plans for lay missionaries, the life spirituality of missionaries, the cooperative relation with dioceses, missionary societies and religious institutes in mission area.
Rev. Peter Bai Kyeong-min, Executive Secretary of the Committee for Evangelization of the CBCK, said, "until now, even though the lay missionaries have contributed to the missionary work in area where the clergy and religious can not reach, they have not been treated properly," and emphasized, "it is urgent to prepare plans to form lay missionaries and support them, considering the need of the future evangelization of the Korean Peninsula in post-reunification era and to promote the Basic Ecclesial Community.


* Cardinal Kim to Award the La Orden Bernardo O'Higgins En El Grado de Gran Cruz from the Government of the Republic of Chile

His Eminence Stephen Cardinal Kim Sou-hwan will receive La Orden Bernardo O'Higgins En El Grado de Gran Cruz from the government of the Republic of Chile.
On October 28, the Chilean Embassy in Seoul announced that His Eminence Cardinal Kim was nominated for the Chilean government's 'La Orden Bernardo O'Higgins En El Grado de Gran Cruz' and explained its context, saying, “His Eminence Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan struggled for the democracy and promotion of human rights of Korean people against repression and unjustice in the 70's-80's, and during his visit to Sandiago of Chile in the 80's the Cardinal gave courage and vision to Chilean people by his solidarity with the democratization movement of the Church in Chile promoted by His Eminence Cardinal Raul Silva Enriquez.
The Chilean Ambassador Fernando Schimidt in Seoul said that "Korea and Chile, though they are placed in opposite side of the globe, have realized democratization by people's struggle against the dictatorship and in this sense, the two countries have many common points."
'La Orden Bernardo O'Higgins En El Grado de Gran Cruz' is a prize that the government of the Republic of Chile offers to people who committed their lives to democratization movement of the people in the world.
The ceremony of award will take place at the Chilean Embassy in Seongbuk-dong, Seoul, on November 10.

* Kkottongnae Branch Houses Opened in the United States

Rev. John Oh Woong-jin, founder and Kkottongnae(means flower town) in Korea, opened the two new branch houses in the United States in Temecula, California, on October 19 and in New Jersey, Orange County, on October 23 respectively. These are the second and third Kkottongnae branches in the United States following that of Downey, LA, which was opened in 1998.
"The raison d'etre of Kkottongnae is first of all to announce the Good News of salvation to the world. Therefore, in accordance with the Christ's teaching, we will dedicate ourselves fully to announce God's love to American society by helping the hungry and the naked by means of social welfare services and operating the training institute of charity and the spiritual training house," Rev. Oh said in his blessing address.
The Kkottongnae branches in East and West coasts of the United States that are operated solely by the contribution of some 4,000 overseas Koreans and Americans are expected to be Christian communities that serve the Korean aged people who suffer in the American society because of cultural differences, language and food adjustment, and help those terminal patients.
Monsignor Park Chang-duk, first director of the New Jersey Kkottongnae house, in his homily, invited people to generous and active participation, saying "the NJ Kkottongnae will take care of both Korean and American aged people, but, we can't do it with few people's dedication only, thus we need help of many volunteers and sponsors."


* Orthodox Church to be Opened in Pyongyang, North Korea

According to the recent report of Itar Tass in Russia, Kim Jong-il, the Chairman of the National Defense Commission of North Korea, said he would allow to build Orthodox Church in Pyongyang, capital of North Korea.
Itar Tass said that "The Church in project will be modeled after the Orthodox Church in Khabarovsk that is located in the far east region of Russia that Kim Jong-il visited during his visit to Russia last summer," and added "the frescos and icons of that Church will be produced by Russian artists," saying the church might be opened in one year.
The North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il, during his visit to Russia from June to August in 2001, said that the religion is not the matter of concern and interest of the North Korean people. However, Itar Tass reported that this year, in a dinner he had in Vladivostok after he met a priest of Orthodox Church in Khabarovsk, Kim said that soon they would see the believers of the Orthodox Church in the capital of North Korea.