ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - Message for Day of Prayer and Reconciliation and Unity of the Korean People

Friday, 25 June 2004

Seoul (Fides Service) - “Break down the wall between north and south Korea and plan seeds of justice peace and joy in Korean hearts”: this is the call launched by Bishop. Lucas Kim Woon-hoe, president of the Korean Bishops’ Commission for National Reconciliation on the occasion of Day of Prayer and Reconciliation and Unity of the Korean People, on June 27.
In the message a copy of which was sent to Fides, Bishop Kim encourages Catholics to focus on reconciliation with self and with neighbours, reconciliation among regions and social classes and unity of the Church. “We must be reconciled with God who is in our hearts” he said.
Emphasising that “external signs of division are gradually disappearing the Bishop called on Catholics to make a greater effort to promote the understanding that authentic unity and reconciliation demands the acceptance of others as they are”
Recalling Jesus prayer for unity among Christians (Jn 17,21) the Bishop said “the Church should respond to this prayer with concrete action for reconciliation and unity”.
In recent years the Church in south Korea has shown a strong desire to work for peace and re-unification of the nation promoting initiatives of solidarity, prayer to improve north south relations. Besides usual collections for Caritas, there are also novenas of prayer from 18 to 27 June. Since 1965 the Church has organised a national Day of Prayer and Reconciliation and Unity of the Korean People on the Sunday nearest to the 25 June the date of the outbreak of the Korean War (1950-53).
A step towards reconciliation could be a solution for the nuclear question in Korea: from 23 to 26 June in Beijing there will be the 3rd round of talks to dismantle North Korea’s nuclear power plants, the six countries at the talks are North and South Korea, Japan, Russia, United States and China.
(PA) (Agenzia Fides 25/6/2004 lines 32 words 337)


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