The Roman Observer interviewed Cardinal Yoo Heung-sik, Prefect of the Congregation for the Holy See. The cardinal recounted his own experience of faith, humbly calling himself “poor Lazarus”, expressing that the holy words should not only be read, but also lived out.
(Vatican News Network)The hustle and bustle from St. Peter’s Square, warmed by the first rays of spring, did not feel uncomfortable. Rather, it seems to present an image of the church as engaging with and receiving feedback from the world. Cardinal Yu Xingzhi, Prefect of the Holy See Lazarus, exudes this breath from his body posture. He sat on the front edge of the couch, leaning towards us, and spoke with a flood of passion, with the kind of enthusiasm that only true Christian joy can give.
Dear Cardinal…
No, no, what cardinal… I am Lazarus, poor Father Lazarus, poor, because I am also a resurrected man of grace like Jesus’ friend Lazarus.
What do you mean, Father Lazarus?
You see, I was baptized at 16 and started a new life. My family was not religious and knew almost nothing about Christianity. But I got into a catholic school simply because the catholic school was one of the best. I know your supervisor was a high school religion teacher, well, tell him that religion class has had a decisive impact on my life! What an important thing a religious teacher can do, even create a cardinal! But there are others I am grateful for, and that is the nuns. Before that, I had never known any of the nuns who later introduced me to the Christian faith, but more importantly, they took care of me as a person, as a young man who was still a little bit confused, trying to find his way in life. They do this with great care and love. Not long after my baptism in 1966, they guided me on the path of monasticism. They saw my vocation before I did. Even today, whenever I meet any of the nuns, I feel grateful and gracious.
Then you became a priest…
Yes. The experience of the seminary is exhilarating, and it is so from a humanistic point of view, and then from a faith point of view. My horizons became wider and I made many new friends. I think it is precisely because of this wonderful experience of mine that I was so happy when I was the abbot of the seminary, and now I am responsible for the cultivation of priests all over the world. But are you sure the life of “poor Lazarus” is of interest to some?
Of course it will, because a man’s story speaks louder than his words…
I tell this story mainly for one reason. That said, my story is in some ways a canonical example of the spread of Catholicism in Korea. As Pope Francis emphasized during his visit to South Korea in August 2014, the Christian faith was not established by foreign missionaries, but has local roots, the fruits of the hearts and minds of the Korean people who are thirsty for knowledge and seek the truth. So is my story. The story of Father Andrea Kim Taegon inspired me when I was young, and he still serves as a model for the Christian life. He gave his life for the Gospel and the Church, and I have always looked up to him as an example, a successful life. Therefore, to all the Popes I have had the opportunity to meet, I repeat his words as a duty: “I will give my life for the Church.”
Father Lazarus, how did you get here?
This question should be asked of the Pope. I met him during the Asian Youth Festival, when I accompanied 300 young Koreans to the event. I don’t know what impressed him about “poor Lazarus.”
So, let’s imagine this. In an unusual and surprising way, Cardinal Lazarus combined traditional oriental delicacy with exceptional decision-making ability, displaying a powerful empathy…
Our culture is permeated with a strong sense of hierarchy. This is something we have inherited from Confucianism, but it is also present in Catholic culture. We may say that with us the vow of obedience is not so heavy…. But returning to the question of why I am here, I can only answer that my whole life has been guided by mysterious and unfathomable grace. The Catholic school, then the baptism, then the nuns I told you about, then back to the abbey as abbot, then the bishop, and finally standing at this window overlooking this incredible colonnaded square.
I would like to add one more “fortuitous” moment, especially important for the progression of our conversation: that of the encounter with the Word. One day I met a priest of the Fraternity Movement who introduced me to the Word of God in a way different from what I was used to. Before that, I was aware of the beauty and spirituality of the Gospel but distanced myself from it and did not integrate it into my daily life. He told me how the gospel taught him to accept without prejudice those who stubbornly opposed him. I understand that the holy words should not only be read, but also lived out. This was a true encounter with Jesus for me. It has fundamentally changed my life because living as a Christian is living out the Gospel.
Today, in this regard, I have a great role model – Pope Francis. That’s what he’s talking about when he tells us to go back to the gospel. The ultimate Christian faith forces us to fundamentally rethink our existence in the world, and Pope Francis’ answer is simple – live the Gospel, as he does. “Going Out of the Church”, “Battlefield Hospital”, “The Edge of the World”, “Be Mercy to Others, Because We Receive Mercy”. All these statements of Pope Francis are nothing more than an interpretation of this “return to the Gospel”. To people who question Francis, I would say, “Do you want to know about the Pope? Read the Gospels!” When Pope Francis preaches, he always shows us that if we are Invest in the love that Jesus taught us, and these little things will become great, because love begets love, breaks our loneliness, builds beautiful relationships, and transforms our lives into beautiful lives.
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