Communications on Dec. 6, 2002
* Bishop Insists on Option for the Poor on the Occasion of Caritas Sunday
The Most Rev. Gabriel Chang Bong-hun, President of the Committee for "Caritas Coreana" of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea(CBCK), issued a message for the 19th Caritas Sunday on December 15 and appealed for preferential sharing with the poor.
He said, "Caritas Sunday invites us to turn our eyes to the needy neighbors and practice charity to them," and asked the faithful "to proclaim Gospel to poor neighbors 'first and foremost and in a special way.'"
In the Message titled 'Love for the Poor,' he said, "the mystery of incarnation that God became a man and came to us has deep meaning of poverty 'to give everything,'" and urged Catholics to live out the spirituality of poverty, saying, "we should live anew and proclaim the truth of Gospel, that is, 'to live poorly is to live in affluence.'"
He also said, "we should live out the evangelical freedom and poverty, in other words, we need to find ourselves and gain life in giving ourselves generously and sharing what we have with others," and explained, "the evangelical poverty revealed in the mystery of incarnation is deeply rooted in love."
He proclaimed that charity for the poor is the sign of messianic mission as well as the unavoidable obligation and privileged right of the Church and asked the faithful "to remember that Jesus came to us in the image of poor man and welcome Him in practicing charity to people in suffering."
* A Plaza in Rome Dedicated to Korean Martyrs Named "Largo Santi Martiri Coreani"
A Roman plaza was dedicated to Korean martyrs for the first time in the 2800-year old history of Rome and named "Largo Santi Martiri Coreani"
On November 29 at the Pontifical Korean College in Rome the naming ceremony took place with some 250 participants including the Most Rev. Andrew Choi Chang-mou, President of the CBCK, who presided the naming ceremony, the Most Rev. Paul Ri Moun-hi, Moderator of the College, the Most Rev. Joseph Lee Han-haek, Auxiliary Bishop of Seoul, the Most Rev. Michael L. Fitzgerald, President of Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, and Ambassador Song Yeong-o, the Korean Ambassador to Italy.
The Largo Santi Martiri Coreani is expected to serve to bring to light the status of Catholic Church in Korea in the world and promote the cooperation and exchange of Korea and Italy.
The square, located in the Pontifical Korean College in Rome, was given the permission of the municipal authorities of Rome as of February 13, 2002, to have the name of Korean martyrs, through the Korean Embassy in Rome.
Rev. Anthony Jon Tal-su, Rector of the College, announced the College's plan to erect a statue of Saint Andrew Kim Tae-gon in the plaza and invited Korean Catholics visiting Rome to this significant place to pray to their martyr saints.
* The CBCK Sent U.S. Episcopal Conference a Letter to Call for a Fair Amendment of the Korea-U.S. SOFA
On December 5, the CBCK(President: Most Rev. Andrew Choi Chang-mou) sent to the USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) a letter with a document entitled "Comparison between the Amended Korea-U.S. SOFA and SOFA of Other Countries" in which it called for solidarity support for a fair amendment of the current Korea-U.S. SOFA (Status of Forces Agreements).
In the letter and document, the CBCK, which sent the letter and document asking for support for a fair SOFA amendment twice since 2000, stressed on the need of revision of the current SOFA and to re-establish the relationship of Korea and U.S.A. as two independent sovereign entities.
By comparing the Korea-U.S. SOFA and other agreements which U.S.A. concluded with other countries such as Japan, Germany, and the Philippines, it criticized the attitude of U.S.A. for not making efforts to rescind or amend unfair articles.
While admitting that current SOFA amended in 2001 was improved in some aspects, it emphasized that the current agreement is still unfair because of the complicated preconditions and the doubt on the integrity and effectiveness of the agreement itself.
In comparisons by each field such as criminal jurisdiction, civil claims, labor, facilities and environment, it concretely pointed out the unfair and ineffective provisions and cases that violate or infringe on the sovereignty of Korea.
The Most Rev. Gabriel Chang Bong-hun, President of the Committee for "Caritas Coreana" of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea(CBCK), issued a message for the 19th Caritas Sunday on December 15 and appealed for preferential sharing with the poor.
He said, "Caritas Sunday invites us to turn our eyes to the needy neighbors and practice charity to them," and asked the faithful "to proclaim Gospel to poor neighbors 'first and foremost and in a special way.'"
In the Message titled 'Love for the Poor,' he said, "the mystery of incarnation that God became a man and came to us has deep meaning of poverty 'to give everything,'" and urged Catholics to live out the spirituality of poverty, saying, "we should live anew and proclaim the truth of Gospel, that is, 'to live poorly is to live in affluence.'"
He also said, "we should live out the evangelical freedom and poverty, in other words, we need to find ourselves and gain life in giving ourselves generously and sharing what we have with others," and explained, "the evangelical poverty revealed in the mystery of incarnation is deeply rooted in love."
He proclaimed that charity for the poor is the sign of messianic mission as well as the unavoidable obligation and privileged right of the Church and asked the faithful "to remember that Jesus came to us in the image of poor man and welcome Him in practicing charity to people in suffering."
* A Plaza in Rome Dedicated to Korean Martyrs Named "Largo Santi Martiri Coreani"
A Roman plaza was dedicated to Korean martyrs for the first time in the 2800-year old history of Rome and named "Largo Santi Martiri Coreani"
On November 29 at the Pontifical Korean College in Rome the naming ceremony took place with some 250 participants including the Most Rev. Andrew Choi Chang-mou, President of the CBCK, who presided the naming ceremony, the Most Rev. Paul Ri Moun-hi, Moderator of the College, the Most Rev. Joseph Lee Han-haek, Auxiliary Bishop of Seoul, the Most Rev. Michael L. Fitzgerald, President of Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, and Ambassador Song Yeong-o, the Korean Ambassador to Italy.
The Largo Santi Martiri Coreani is expected to serve to bring to light the status of Catholic Church in Korea in the world and promote the cooperation and exchange of Korea and Italy.
The square, located in the Pontifical Korean College in Rome, was given the permission of the municipal authorities of Rome as of February 13, 2002, to have the name of Korean martyrs, through the Korean Embassy in Rome.
Rev. Anthony Jon Tal-su, Rector of the College, announced the College's plan to erect a statue of Saint Andrew Kim Tae-gon in the plaza and invited Korean Catholics visiting Rome to this significant place to pray to their martyr saints.
* The CBCK Sent U.S. Episcopal Conference a Letter to Call for a Fair Amendment of the Korea-U.S. SOFA
On December 5, the CBCK(President: Most Rev. Andrew Choi Chang-mou) sent to the USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) a letter with a document entitled "Comparison between the Amended Korea-U.S. SOFA and SOFA of Other Countries" in which it called for solidarity support for a fair amendment of the current Korea-U.S. SOFA (Status of Forces Agreements).
In the letter and document, the CBCK, which sent the letter and document asking for support for a fair SOFA amendment twice since 2000, stressed on the need of revision of the current SOFA and to re-establish the relationship of Korea and U.S.A. as two independent sovereign entities.
By comparing the Korea-U.S. SOFA and other agreements which U.S.A. concluded with other countries such as Japan, Germany, and the Philippines, it criticized the attitude of U.S.A. for not making efforts to rescind or amend unfair articles.
While admitting that current SOFA amended in 2001 was improved in some aspects, it emphasized that the current agreement is still unfair because of the complicated preconditions and the doubt on the integrity and effectiveness of the agreement itself.
In comparisons by each field such as criminal jurisdiction, civil claims, labor, facilities and environment, it concretely pointed out the unfair and ineffective provisions and cases that violate or infringe on the sovereignty of Korea.