ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - Reconciliation with North Korea ever nearer: this is the hope of the Catholic Church

Seoul (Agenzia Fides) - In South Korea there are growing hopes for national reconciliation and reunification with North Korea. The Catholic community does its part to assist the poverty stricken brothers and sisters in the North. This emerged from the 10th Catholic Forum for Reconciliation of the Korean People organised by the Korean Bishops' Commission for National Reconciliation and Reunification.
The Forum on the theme “Christian life and aid to North Korea”, was attended by bishops, priests, religious and lay people, pastoral workers, Caritas volunteers, people involved in providing aid for N. Korea as well as representatives of government and civil society institutions.
Addressing the participants Fr. Paul Han Jeong-gwan, secretary of the Bishops' Commission for National Reconciliation, said: “Aid for N. Korea on the basis of Christian love will be the foundation stone for rebuilding the Church in N. Korea and re-building her mission. It is our duty to continue efforts and launch new initiatives in this direction”.
Fr. Damien Kim Young-nam, professor of Biblical theology at the Catholic University of Korea said: “Reconciliation comes from God. Reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ is the basis of all reconciliation among individuals and communities. Christians should humbly acknowledge in their hearts that reconciliation is a gift of God. The Church in Korea must realise that her effort to promote reconciliation of the Korean people is a great sign of the times demanded of the Church in this present epoch in history needs”.
Representing the government Kim Jeong-su, head of the department for humanitarian aid and cooperation at the Ministry for Reunification, said an economic slump was the principal cause of the crisis which afflicts the people of N. Korea. He warned that because of floods expected to continue in the years to come, the situation will not improve.
For his part, Fr. Baptist Kim Hun-il, secretary executive of the Bishops' Commission for National Reconciliation, “aid is an obligation for Christian charity as well as a practical way of helping to heal the conflict between the two peoples”. Humanitarian aid to North Korea, the Forum concluded, “is a means to measure our faith and to make concrete gestures of reconciliation”. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 29/11/2007 righe 27 parole 279)