Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Seoul (Agenzia Fides) - “Ttiattmeori” is a Korean word that means “love and friendship between brothers and sisters”. And it is the name of an organization in which young North Koreans who have fled the country and young South Koreans come together to talk, make friends and share their faith.
“Ttiattmeori” is under the patronage of the Congregation of the Blessed Korean Martyrs and aims to help young North Koreans integrate and settle in the South.
The organization recently organized a “peace concert” and a dialogue in which North Korean young people were able to tell their story “with an open heart”, while other young people listened and then shared their stories. “Living the faith together and experiencing spiritual unity is a great help in settling into South Korean society”, said the participants in the event. The intense dialogue between the young people was also one of the highlights of the “Korea Peninsula Peace-Sharing Forum 2024”, which was organized in recent days by the “Korea Reconciliation Commission” of the Archdiocese of Seoul. The annual forum was attended by the Archbishop of Seoul, Peter Soon-taick Chung, President of the Commission, and Archbishop Giovanni Gaspari, Apostolic Nuncio to Korea, as well as several ambassadors.
In his opening speech, Archbishop Peter Soon-taick Chung, who is also Apostolic Administrator of Pyongyang, outlined the theme of the forum, “The Journey towards Peace”, and stressed that “this path to peace may seem long and arduous at first, but we must not lose hope”. “I look forward to inspiring hope by reflecting together on the role of the Church and the various paths of solidarity for peace on the Korean Peninsula and in the world,” added the prelate.
In his remarks, Archbishop Giovanni Gaspari, Apostolic Nuncio to Korea, cited Pope Francis' encyclical Fratelli Tutti (No. 271), which states that religions have a duty to make "a valuable contribution to building fraternity and defending justice in society." He also stressed that "fraternity is the alternative to war, it is the other possible horizon. It is a path that must be taken together and to which all men and women on earth, believers and non-believers, are called to build a world at peace." The German theologian and peace researcher Heinz-Gerhard Justenhoven explained the value of "reconciliation" as a prerequisite for German reunification and spoke in this context about the role of the Catholic Church, noting that "prayer for peace was crucial for German reunification."
In its ninth year, the Forum aims to respond to the Church's call to promote peace on the Korean peninsula. To this end, the Institute for Peace-Sharing, an institution established by the Korea Reconciliation Commission, presented two research projects. Yiseul Seraphina Choi, a member of the Thomas Society, a research group of young Catholics affiliated with the Institute for Peace-Sharing, stressed the importance of spreading the Church's teaching on peace in Korean civil society, i.e. among all citizens, and pointed to the special role of the Catholic clergy as a "bridge" and "antenna" for raising awareness.
The researchers surveyed some 5,700 Korean priests on their opinions on the issues of peace and reconciliation: 82% of them agreed on the need for reunification, a percentage that is far higher than the response rate of the general public (43%) or Catholic believers (49%).
The year 2025, says a statement from the Institute for Peace-Sharing, will be a very important year, as it will mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation and the 80th anniversary of the division of the Korean peninsula, the 30th anniversary of the Korea Reconciliation Commission and the 10th anniversary of the Institute for Peace-Sharing: next year's Forum will therefore be of particular importance. As a contribution to this event, the Thomas Society will develop a program to discuss the special role of young people in building peace on the Korean peninsula, also with a view to the World Youth Day in Seoul in 2027. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 22/11/2024)
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