Stephany Sun, Author at ZENIT - English

For Koreans, Feast of Assumption Is Also National Celebration

Stephany Sun — Fri, 12 Aug 2016 15:38:18 +0000

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”

Seoul Archbishop’s Message for the Feast of Assumption of Mary

Korea was liberated from the Japanese imperialism on August 15, 1945, and the day was also the Feast of the Assumption of Mary. The Catholic Church in Korea sees the liberation as a gift of the Blessed Mary, and has been celebrating Holy Masses throughout the country every year to give thanks to Her.

In Myeongdong Cathedral, two “Taegeukgi (the national flag of Korea)” is hung on both sides of the altar every year during the Holy Mass on August 15.

The following is the full text of Cardinal Yeom Soo-jung’s message for the 2016 Feast of the Assumption of Mary:

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Today we celebrate both the Feast of the Assumption of Mary and the liberation Day of Korea. It is the day we remember how Virgin Mary was specially blessed by the Lord for her deep faith.

Not long after liberation from the Japanese colonial rule, our country was torn apart. We have stayed divided as South and North Korea for 71 years. We have aimed our guns and weapons toward those who share the same blood with us. We have left scars on ourselves that could never be erased. Nowadays when we see the conflicts in our society, we realize that the weapons used to aim at our brothers were in fact being used against ourselves, too.

As Pope Francis said, genuine peace between countries is not built through power or war but through political and diplomatic efforts. Terrorism and punishments will only result in the vicious cycle of revenge. It is not easy to overcome the horrendous suffering and pain of war. When we think about the continuous terror attacks around the world and the confrontation between the two Koreas, we can hardly see a solution. However, we should not judge by human standards; we should trust in the Lord, as Mary did, and believe that the impossible will be made possible.

This year the Catholic Church celebrates the Jubilee of Mercy. Mercy is embracing other people, with all of the diversity that comes with them. Mercy is building peace, by endless efforts and continuous dialogue. As it is written in the Bible, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Those who devote themselves to making peace are brothers and sisters in Christ.

Peacebuilding for the Korean Peninsula is first and foremost our duty as Christians of Korea. Let us continue to pray, and look for more effective ways to put our prayer into action.

Virgin Mary, Mother of Peace! Pray for our country. Pray for the genuine reconciliation and peace in the Korean peninsula. Amen.

Cardinal Andrew Yeom Soo-jung

Archbishop of Seoul

2016 Feast of Assumption of Mary

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Bishops of Seoul Celebrating Holy Thursday With the Marginalized

Stephany Sun — Thu, 24 Mar 2016 16:07:06 +0000

Answering the Holy Father’s call for works of mercy, Cardinal Yeom Soo-jung and the auxiliary bishops of Seoul are celebrating Holy Thursday with those who are marginalized, socially excluded, and people with disabilities.

Cardinal Andrew Yeom Soo-jung is visiting Maumjary, a facility for single mothers which is operated directly by Caritas Seoul. He is celebrating the Mass of the Lord’s Supper with brave women who did not give up their child despite difficult situations.

On the same day, Bishop Basil Cho Kyu-man is presiding over the evening Mass in Myeongdong Cathedral, while Bishop Timothy Yu Gyeong-chon visits a nursing home, Bishop Peter Chung Soon-taek visits a vocational training center for disabled, and Bishop Benedict Son Hee-song visits a children’s shelter.

Nine pregnant women from the Maumjary will participate in the Rite of the Washing of the Feet, along with four newborn babies. The sisters and staffs working in the facility will also be included in the ceremony.

Since his elevation to cardinalate, Cardinal Yeom Soo-jung has visited special facilities on every Holy Thursdayand celebrated Mass with the community members. He visited the children’s learning center in Yeongdeungpo district in 2014, and visited the nursing home Duomjary in 2015.

The Holy Mass in Myeongdong Cathedral this year will be out of the ordinary as well. The 12 people who are invited to participate in the Feet Washing ceremony will include those who work unnoticed in the diocesan office (cleaning woman and parking lot staff), a patient, a parish volunteer with disabilities, a worker suffers from unemployment, and a foreign worker.

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Seoul Archbishop releases 2014 New Year Pastoral Letter

Stephany Sun — Fri, 13 Dec 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Since the Word of God is a strong driving force of new evangelization, the Archdiocese of Seoul has been working through every pastoral field to feature the importance of the Bible. There are guidelines of various programs proposed by the Archdiocese including daily reading and meditation, Bible transcription, Bible read-through, and Bible studies.

The following is a summary of the Archbishop Yeom’s 2014 Pastoral Letter.

New Age, New Evangelization

-The Word of God is the driving force of New Evangelization

In order to strengthen the feeble faith of the Korean Church, I have presented you all with a measure of five slogans: a faith that is started by the Word of God, a faith that sprouts from prayers, a faith that is strengthen by the teachings of the Church, a faith that is united through the Holy Mass, and a faith that bears fruits through the actions of love.

We have to continue to work hard so that the basis of faith that we have learned during the ‘Year of Faith’ stays in us. To be more concrete, our Archdiocese has planned to put the five slogans in action, and we will focus on one slogan a year.

In the year 2014, we will put emphasis on “the Word of God.” As Paul the Apostle said, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

Read the Holy Bible daily in your life. Before going to Mass, give yourself some time to go through the Readings and the Gospel. Let the words sink down into your heart.

Priests have the duty to deliver the message of God to the faithfuls. It is important for priests to put Jesus Christ in the center of every homily, and to avoid any abstract or irrelevant speech that draws the faithfuls’ attention to the priest himself instead of the message of the Gospel.

The Word of God is the bread of life. But the interpretation of the Bible outside the Church may easily lead to misunderstandings. One should join in Bible programs that are officially approved by the Church.

The new evangelization of the Church and the world, is that we live with hope and joy in Christ and in the Word of God.

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Seoul Archbishop Message for the Feast of Assumption of Mary

Stephany Sun — Wed, 14 Aug 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Korea was liberated from the Japanese imperialism on August 15, 1945, and the day was also the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Korean Catholic Church sees the liberation as a gift of the Bless Mary, and has been celebrating Masses throughout the country to give thanks to the Holy Mother.

In Myeong-dong Cathedral, two ‘Taegeukgi’ (national flag of Korea) is hung on both sides of the Altar every year during the Mass on August 15 in celebration of the Independence Day.

Below is the full text of the Archbishop’s message:

My dearest brothers and sisters!

May God’s blessings and peace be upon you all!

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is the day when Mary, the Mother of God, ended her life journey on earth and was assumed into Heaven. For us Christians, the Assumption of Mary is an important event of special meaning: It confirms for us the hope of eternal life. The Church has also emphasized that, “by her maternal charity, she cares for the brethren of her Son, who still journey on earth surrounded by dangers and cultics, until they are led into the happiness of their true home.” (Lumen Gentium 62)

While we celebrate the Assumption of Mary, the Queen of Peace, we should also devoteourselves to the real peace for all mankind. Jesus gave peace to his disciples as a gift before he was taken away by the sinners. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27) We can say that being a Christian is to live a life of pursuing peace, and to be the disciple of Jesus who is sent for peace on Earth.

In his encyclical, Pacem in Terris, Bless John XXIII emphasized that “Peace on Earth—which man throughout the ages has so longed for and sought after—can never be established, never guaranteed, except by the diligent observance of the divinely established order in truth, justice, charity, and freedom.” Paul the Apostle also testified that, “For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility.” (Ephesians 2:14) Real peace begins when people restore their love and trust in each other; it begins when we play the role to realize truth and justice.

However, what is our situation now? 60 years has passed since the Korean War had ended, the Korean Peninsula is still facing division and serious conflict between North and South Korea. The reconciliation of North and South Korea is not only a matter of the Peninsula but also the way to world peace. That is why we should put away the unfortunate past and aim toward a bright future of hope.

Because of the division of North and South Korea, too many people have died and countless families are separated. There are no words to describe the anguish feelings of living without knowing whether your families are alive or dead. I would like to request to the Korean government to begin with solving the most urgent and present problems that would finally led to the achievement of reconciliation: the confirmation of survival of separated family members from North and South Korea, arrangements of letter exchanges and meetings. I pray that more sagacious policies such as humanity assistance and conversations will be enforced until the day when North and South Korea can open up hearts to each other.

For us Christians, the first thing we should do is to pray. Prayers help us to pay attention to the word of God, and help us to become the instrument of his peace. When we are able to put away all divisions and hatred, we will be able to begin a bright future of love and peace. When human respect, truth, and freedom is fully practiced in the Korean Peninsula, the day of peace shall come faster to us.

We earnestly pray to the Holy Mother to be our guidance, and may the Lord bless us every day in our lives.

2013 Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Archbishop of Seoul, Apostolic Administrator of Pyong-yang

Andrew Yeom Soo-jung

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Seoul Archbishop Celebrates Mass for Business Owners and Workers

Stephany Sun — Tue, 06 Aug 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Archbishop Andrew Yeom Soo-jung celebrated Mass with the business owners and workers from Kaeseong Industrial Region on July 21 at the chapel inside the Bishop’s House.

The Mass was offered to pray for the re-opening of Kaeseong Industrial Region which is facing a long-term closure from April this year due to the tension between North and South Korea. The Mass was concelebrated by Msgr. Choi Chang-hwa, the director of Commission for the Reconciliation of the Korean People, and vice director, Fr. Cheong Sae-deuk. Around 50 members from ‘Rosario’— a community of the Catholics who work in Kaeseong Industrial Region—were invited to the mass with their families.

“The closure of Kaeseong Industrial Region caused different damages. However, I was told that the Rosario members never gave up hope and met every month to offer mass for the peace between North and South Korea. So I wanted to offer them my condolence and support.” Archbishop Yeom Soo-jung explained his purpose for the Mass.

During his homily, the Archbishop expressed his positive attitude towards the friendship and trust built between North and South Korean employees who worked together in Kaeseong Industrial Region. The Archbishop also spoke about his deep concerns and worries on the working-level talks between North and South Korea that had not yet reached any consensus. He pointed out that the re-opening of the region is not only for economic reasons but also “a symbol of the reconciliation and unification that needs to be realized through great effort and conversations.”

The ‘Rosario’ is made up of 40 members from 30 different companies. Because there is no religious freedom in Kaeseong Industrial Regions, Catholics who work there do not have the chance to attend Mass. Starting from 2008, the community began to form when Catholics met in the cafeteria and prayed Rosary together. After the regions was closed this year, the Rosario members gathered in Seoul on the third Sunday every month and offered mass.

The Commission for the Reconciliation of the Korean People is a Seoul Archdiocese-affiliated group that is responsible for the humanitarian assistance for North Korea and unification movements. “The Rosario members have directly interacted with the workers from North Korea,” said Fr. Cheong Sae-deuk, the vice director of Commission. “The members believe and treat the North Korean people like their own brothers. We earnestly hope that Kaeseong Industrial Region will re-open, so that we can work with our brothers again.”

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