Pope Francis received a number of faithful from South Korea who came to participate in the ceremony of installing a golden statue of the Holy Martyr in a niche outside St. Peter’s Basilica. The Pope pointed out that this saint is an example that the Church should follow. As Seoul will host the next World Youth Day, the Pope entrusts young people to the Korean Church: “They are often seduced by the false myths of efficiency and consumerism, but their hearts desire something else.”
(Vatican News) About 200 Korean pilgrims came to Rome to participate in the ceremony to install a statue of the country’s saint, Andrew Kim Dae-gon, in a niche outside St. Peter’s Basilica. This pilgrim group includes bishops, priests, religious, nuns and lay people. Pope Francis received them on the morning of September 16 and expressed his dream of peace to them, saying that the Korean Peninsula “is always in his thoughts and prayers.” . The future will be built not through the brutal force of weapons, but through the gentle force of people, the Pope stressed.
The mission of caring for youth
South Korea has been selected as the venue for the next World Youth Day in 2027, and the Pope has placed his hopes on the Church in this Asian country, which he visited in 2014 on the occasion of the 6th Asian Youth Day. In his speech, the Pope’s thoughts stayed on young people and called on the Korean church to care for young people: “Although you have a beautiful history of faith and although you carry out great pastoral work with enthusiasm, there are still many young people, including you. The youth there are seduced by the false myths of efficiency and consumerism and beguiled by the illusion of hedonism.”
The Pope said: “The hearts of young people want something else, their hearts are made for a wider perspective: care for them, seek them out, be close to them, listen to them, proclaim to them the beauty of the Gospel, and make their hearts free, Be a joyful witness to truth and love.”
The gospel does not divide but unites
In fact, the Church in Korea is a fruitful Church that arises among the laity and is “nourished” by the blood of the martyrs. The Pope emphasized: “She is alive and well, drawing from her roots the evangelizing power of the generosity of witnesses, paying attention to the role and charism of lay people.” From this perspective, the Pope emphasized the relationship between priests, men and women religious, and lay people. The importance of “widening the space for pastoral cooperation” among the people, “where everyone is together, without any exclusion”.
The Pope said: “The Gospel does not create divisions, but promotes unity; it urges people to live in their own culture, in their own history, with a gentle attitude and a spirit of service, to be close to others, never to create conflicts, but It’s about creating communion.”
apostle of peace
The Pope therefore invites everyone to become “apostles of peace” in all areas of life. Like Sheng Jin Dajian, he witnessed the horrors of the Opium War while studying theology in Macau: “Yet, in that conflicting environment, he managed to sow the seeds of peace for many people, showing his desire to encounter and dialogue with all people . This inspires us to be partners in the journey and witnesses of reconciliation. It is solid evidence that the future is not being built through the brutal force of weapons, but through the gentle power of approachability.”
“We entrust the dream of peace on the Korean peninsula to the Holy Spirit, a dream that has always been in my thoughts and prayers,” the pope concluded.
Link URL: www.vaticannews.cn
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2023-09-18 07:48:53
