CBCK News
2009-08-25 10:50
8,438
Communication on Oct. 31
* CPCMI Asks Priests in Pastoral Ministry for Overseas Korean Catholics to Keep 5-Year Term

With the increase of priests in charge of pastoral ministry of overseas Korean Catholics, the Most Rev. Peter Kang U-il, President of the Committee for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerants (CPCMI) of the CBCK, sent an official letter to the superiors of religious institutes and missionary societies, October 21, presenting five points of recommendation to be observed when priests are sent for the pastoral ministry of overseas Korean Catholics.

The five points include the term of Korean priest for pastoral ministry of Korean Catholic communities and recommendation to inform the diocesan bishop when personnel change of Korean priests takes place; to participate in adaptation and training program of priests to be sent to overseas pastoral ministry; to make appropriate transfer of duties and to proceed due steps when invite Korean priest for pastoral ministry of Korean Catholics communities.

These five points were agreed between the Most Rev. Peter Kang U-il, President of the Committee for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerants of the CBCK and the Most Rev. Thomas G. Wenski, Chairman of the Committee on Migration of the USCCB(United States of Conference of Catholic Bishop) at meeting held in May, 2003 during which they discussed pending questions and agreed to readjust the Agreement between Korea-U.S.A. Episcopal Conferences on Sending Priests for Pastoral Ministry of Korean Catholic Communities in U.S.A. issued in 1999.

Regarding the term of pastoral ministry of Korean priest, Bishop Kang noted that "in the case of Korean priests, they often stay two or three years, but this is not enough to accumulate pastoral experience after cultural and linguistic adaptation," and asked to keep 5-year term policy that is carried out in most of the dioceses in the U.S.A.

Regarding the change of personnel (priest), Bishop Kang said that it was agreed  between presidents of the Committee for the Pastoral Care of Migrants of the CBCK and that of USCCB to inform the concerned diocesan bishop several months in advance and ask agreement for the new priest and, concerning the treatment of priests in pastoral ministry, it was agreed to send the priest after making a clear contract with the diocesan office concerned not with the representatives of Korean Catholic communities in the U.S.A.



* 1000 Couples Pledge Evangelization of Family

The Congress of Family of the Archdiocese of Taegu was held at the Memorial Hall of St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon on October 26 and over 2000 participants pledged to live as example of the Holy Family proclaiming "We are one forever".
The Most Rev. Paul Ri Moun-hi, Archbishop of Taegu, said in his homily "The man and wife are called to form one heart and one body, and, for this they must renounce themselves and serve each other."

During the renewal ceremony of marriage contract the participants pledged; to create holy family; to root out anti-life culture; to provide children religious education; to create family faithful to filial duties; to help neighbors in difficulties and to participate positively in events of the Year of Family.

Rev. Paul Lee Chang-young, Undersecretary of the CBCK, examined in his special lecture the family crisis of Korean society and proposed pastoral alternatives.

Rev. Lee, who stressed the future of family is the future of the Church, said the subject of family pastoral ministry is family itself and invited the faithful to save family through building up family community in dialogue and prayer.

The Archdiocese of Taegu is to proclaim year of 2004 as Year of Family and expect to make it a momentum of turning point of pastoral policy.    



* Parishes are Asked to Create 'Department of Family Sanctification'

The Most Rev. Vincent Ri Pyong-ho, Bishop of Chonju, asked to create Department of Family Sanctification in each parish making it an obligation.

Bishop Ri made public his intension on family at the diocesan seminar for 2004 pastoral letter held on October 23 and asked to create the department of family sanctification in each parish to realize concrete work for evangelization of family.    
By making it an obligation the Diocese of Chonju intends reportedly to strengthen diocesan system to animate family pastoral ministry and realize pastoral policy of the diocese related to family.

In this regard, the Diocese of Chonju plans to hold the first seminar to support activities of the members of the Committee on family of each parish in February, 2004.