ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - Archbishop of Seoul celebrates Mass for Catholic parliamentarians in the chapel of the National Assembly: Focus on the common good

Seoul (Agenzia Fides) - Focus on the common good is what Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick of Seoul asks the Catholic parliamentarians of South Korea to do, a country where in the last four weeks the political elite has been at the center of a crisis that began with the imposition of martial law by President Yoon (see Fides, 4/12/2024), a decision that led citizens to take to the streets to demonstrate against this decision and which ultimately led to Yoon's impeachment.

The political instability and economic difficulties created by the crisis were the focus of the Archbishop's homily, during a Mass with Catholic deputies of the country.

"Amid the political turmoil, small backyard businesses are at a standstill and our citizens are experiencing great hardship," said Archbishop Chung Soon-taick, who also called for greater political cooperation to address pressing national problems. In this context, he reiterated the need to go beyond party political interests and focus on long-term policies that serve the common good: "Regardless of which party is in government or in opposition, we must quickly restore political stability through democratic procedures."

A total of 26 Catholic parliamentarians from the Catholic Committee of the National Assembly attended the service, including Chairman Kim Byung-kee, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, Senior Vice President Choi Hyung-du, a member of the People’s Power Party, Park Soo-hyun, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, Na Kyung-won, also of the People’s Power Party, and Lee Jun-seok, a representative of the New Reformed Party.

"Political leaders who are believers should uphold the values of love and respect that people have strayed from, and actively advocate and practice the values of harmony and coexistence rather than division," concluded Archbishop Chung, who also met with National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik at the Presidential Office after the service to discuss the situation that shaped South Korea at the end of last year and what the future should look like.

"At the end of last year, the country faced serious crises, including martial law, impeachment proceedings and an air disaster. Hearing the Archbishop's message about the need for a humane attitude of mutual respect was deeply comforting," said the President of South Korea's National Assembly on the sidelines of the meeting. Finally, there was a reference to the World Youth Day scheduled in Seoul in 2027: "I hope that the event will provide a meaningful opportunity for young people to experience the dynamism of the Republic of Korea and the strength of its democracy," concluded Woo, assuring that the National Assembly will support the initiative. (F.B.) (Agenzia Fides, 8/1/2025)

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