Communications on Nov. 22, 2002
* Message for Bible Week Issued
The Most Rev. John Chrisostom Kwon Hyok-ju, Bishop of Andong and President of the Biblical Committee of the CBCK(Catholic Bishop's Conference of Korea), issued a Message for 2002 Bible Week(November 24 to 30) and urged Catholics to read, meditate on, live out and proclaim the Bible either individually or in common for it leads us to live in accordance with God's will.
In the Message titled "You Have Made Known to Me the Ways of Life(Acts. 2,28; Ps. 16[15],11)." he said, "'the ways of life' are to trust Jesus who is the Way, the Truth and the Life(Jn. 14,6) and to follow his way," and added, "the way Jesus took was to serve people in love."
In order that the Christians practice 'the ways of life', he said, "we should first build up a community whose basis is trust and love, not distrust and violence," and explained, "only when we live in that way we could be 'the light of the world' and the Church can cast light of hope to the world which is now caught by the vicious circle of distrust and violence."
* Korean - Japanese Bishops' Exchange Meeting to Expand its Scope into East Asian Region
The Bishops of Korea and Japan hoped to expand the current Korean - Japanese Bishops' Exchange Meeting into East Asian Bishops' Exchange Meeting(tentative name) by including Taiwan, Hong Kong.
This hope was expressed at the eighth Bishops' Exchange Meeting held at Aaron Retreat House in Uiwang-si, Gyeonggi-do from November 12 to 14.
On the consensus that larger scope of exchange meeting will contribute to the evangelization of East Asia and the development of the local Church, the bishops will make further examination of this matter at the ninth Korean-Japanese Bishops' Exchange Meeting next year.
Besides, the bishops also agreed to organize small group meetings with concrete pastoral issues in common to activate the Exchange Meeting.
The Most Rev. Peter Kang U-il, Bishop of Cheju who is in charge of the Korean - Japanese Bishops' Exchange Meeting, said, "through eight times of exchange meetings the Bishops of two countries have built friendship each other. I think we are now laying stepping-stones for the reconciliation and unity of two countries that still suffer from deep scars of the past."
The Most Rev. Peter Takeo Okada, Archbishop of Tokyo and Vice President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Japan, said, "I believe good results will come out at the tenth Exchange Meeting in 2004 and for this, we the Bishops of Korea and Japan will cooperate each other in preparing for the 2004 General Assembly of the FABC."
The Most Rev. John Chrisostom Kwon Hyok-ju, Bishop of Andong and President of the Biblical Committee of the CBCK(Catholic Bishop's Conference of Korea), issued a Message for 2002 Bible Week(November 24 to 30) and urged Catholics to read, meditate on, live out and proclaim the Bible either individually or in common for it leads us to live in accordance with God's will.
In the Message titled "You Have Made Known to Me the Ways of Life(Acts. 2,28; Ps. 16[15],11)." he said, "'the ways of life' are to trust Jesus who is the Way, the Truth and the Life(Jn. 14,6) and to follow his way," and added, "the way Jesus took was to serve people in love."
In order that the Christians practice 'the ways of life', he said, "we should first build up a community whose basis is trust and love, not distrust and violence," and explained, "only when we live in that way we could be 'the light of the world' and the Church can cast light of hope to the world which is now caught by the vicious circle of distrust and violence."
* Korean - Japanese Bishops' Exchange Meeting to Expand its Scope into East Asian Region
The Bishops of Korea and Japan hoped to expand the current Korean - Japanese Bishops' Exchange Meeting into East Asian Bishops' Exchange Meeting(tentative name) by including Taiwan, Hong Kong.
This hope was expressed at the eighth Bishops' Exchange Meeting held at Aaron Retreat House in Uiwang-si, Gyeonggi-do from November 12 to 14.
On the consensus that larger scope of exchange meeting will contribute to the evangelization of East Asia and the development of the local Church, the bishops will make further examination of this matter at the ninth Korean-Japanese Bishops' Exchange Meeting next year.
Besides, the bishops also agreed to organize small group meetings with concrete pastoral issues in common to activate the Exchange Meeting.
The Most Rev. Peter Kang U-il, Bishop of Cheju who is in charge of the Korean - Japanese Bishops' Exchange Meeting, said, "through eight times of exchange meetings the Bishops of two countries have built friendship each other. I think we are now laying stepping-stones for the reconciliation and unity of two countries that still suffer from deep scars of the past."
The Most Rev. Peter Takeo Okada, Archbishop of Tokyo and Vice President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Japan, said, "I believe good results will come out at the tenth Exchange Meeting in 2004 and for this, we the Bishops of Korea and Japan will cooperate each other in preparing for the 2004 General Assembly of the FABC."