Archbishop Andrew Yeom Soo-jung: “I hope I’ll soon be able to celebrate mass in Pyongyang”. “Reconciliation on the peninsula is not just about political leaders. All countries and persons concerned should work together for peace”.
“We have never lost hope. My heart sinks when I think about what the faithful in North Korea have gone and are going through. But I am sure that God listens to our prayer, which is a powerful means. Reconciliation in Korea and the new prospects for peace are the fruit of prayer. I hope I ‘ll be able to celebrate a mass in Pyongyang. I am sure that there are many faithful who have kept their faith secret”.
Archbishop Andrew Yeom Soo-jung, apostolic administrator of Pyongyang and therefore also pastor entrusted with the care of the faithful who are beyond the “bamboo curtain”.
In the Catholic complex of the Myeongdong district, in the centre of Seoul - a shopping area, and a hot-spot for the city’s young people and thousands of mainly Chinese tourists - the Gothic cathedral of Mary Immaculate, built at the end of the 1800s, stands out as one of the few buildings of historical and artistic interest. This is the beating heart of the South Korean Catholic Church in the capital, a metropolis with over 10 million inhabitants, rapidly expanding in the hasty process of development and industrialization occurred after the Korean War.
The crypt of the Cathedral is the home of the remains of four Korean martyrs, while paintings of the martyrs adorn the naves of the building. A sign of how the community of Korean Christians bear in mind the experience of martyrdom, an expression of that maturity of faith which today makes the Korean Catholic Church a point of reference for all the Churches of Asia. Not only for its numerical consistency (it is over 10% of the population) or for its economic strength (which translates into aid and missionary cooperation), but above all for the quality of its spiritual and pastoral life, clearly visible in the atmosphere of deep recollection among the faithful who participate in the mass.
Vatican Insider met Cardinal Andrew Yeom Soo-jung in his study, in the Catholic center “Familia”, next to the cathedral, to talk about the contribution of the Korean Church to the new political phase of openness and dialogue that is experienced in the peninsula.
Your Eminence, after the inter-Korean summit in April and the one between the USA and North Korea in Singapore, a new era of peace seems to begin on the Korean peninsula: what do you think about the process of rapprochement with North Korea?
“First of all, I would like to thank God for listening to our sincere prayers for peace and reconciliation of the Korean people. I also thank Pope Francis who has never stopped praying for the Koreans and recently on exactly nine occasions has cited Korea in his messages: as for the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, for the inter-Korean summit or the Singapore summit. We appreciate and thank the faithful around the world who pray for the Korean people. We have always lived the wound of division with faith and hope, entrusting it to God in prayer. Prayer is a powerful means, we have never stopped praying and we are sure that the Father listens to us”.
How is the Korean Church contributing? What will the next steps be?
“North and South Korea have been on hostile grounds and divided for nearly 70 years, a very long time. I am now very happy about recent developments and the positive atmosphere on the Korean Peninsula, and I hope it will soon lead to good results. However, we can’t expect complex issues to be resolved in a moment. We need to be patient and keep praying. Faced with the challenges of the future, let us remember Jesus’ words: “Have Courage, I am; do not be afraid” (Mt 14:27). As Pope Francis always emphasizes, we strongly believe that “dialogue is the way to peace” and that peace is sustained by praying authentically. True reconciliation between North and South Korea is not just about political leaders. All countries and persons involved should work together to achieve peace and reconciliation. The Korean Church will continue not only to support the dialogue between South Korea and North Korea, but also to provide humanitarian aid to the North.
As apostolic administrator of Pyongyang, what can you say about the current situation of the Catholic community in the North?
“Last year we celebrated the 90th anniversary of the Pyongyang Diocese. In the past many believers have confessed their faith in God there, and for years there has been a “Church of silence”, without priests present since the Korean War. As apostolic administrator of the diocese, my heart breaks whenever I think of the Church in North Korea. As I pray the Rosary every day, I ask God for the grace to protect the believers in North Korea. The flame of the Holy Spirit will never extinguish in North Korea. And I believe that there are still faithful who keep God in their hearts, who commemorate the Eucharist and pray in secrecy. They are “hidden Christians”, as has also happened in the history of the Japanese people. My dream is to go and find them, pray with them and give them the sacraments. I sincerely invoke God’s blessing to be able to soon celebrate a mass and praise God with the faithful in North Korea. I have a profound conviction: as long as we remember them, they are alive; as long as we pray for them, the Lord protects and hears them.
Since 1995, every Tuesday there has been a mass for peace and reconciliation in the Cathedral of Mary Immaculate in Seoul. Does it mean that the Korean Church has a deep trust in peace and reconciliation?
“Certainly. With the grace of Christ everything is possible. The division of our country is due to an ideological conflict. All our people have a sincere hope that one day we will overcome the pains of division and return to the unity of the past. I believe that our people can forgive each other and become “one” again in Christ, thanks to the power of his Cross. In the peace and reconciliation mass celebrated in 2014 by Pope Francis, during his visit to Korea, the Pope also said: “Jesus urges us to believe that reconciliation can be achieved by forgiving each other. Have faith in the power of the Cross”.
Are there priests available today to follow pastoral activities or training programmes for priests and religious to be sent to the North?
“In the Archdiocese of Seoul and in the Diocese of Busan we have several priests who were ordained in Pyongyang. However, many of them are elderly and have already retired. Since 2009 we have specific formation programs for seminarians who volunteer to go one day to Pyongyang, with the expectation of having presbyters ready to help re-establish the Catholic Church in North Korea when possible. Thus in 2016 we chose the first priest for the diocese of Pyongyang. And now we have a total of four priests, four deacons and 26 seminarians who can be said are already ready to settle in the diocese of Pyongyang. When God wants reunification, we will be ready.
