04/26/2005, 00.00
SOUTH KOREA - VATICAN
Send to a friend

Large numbers of South Koreans attend mass for Benedict XVI

by Thomas Hong-Soon Han
The service was attended by every bishop in the country as well as political leaders and leaders from other religions. For Mgr Choi, papal power and authority cannot be interpreted in socio-political terms.

Seoul (AsiaNews) – A solemn thanksgiving mass to honour Benedict XVI's installation was con-celebrated yesterday by every Korean bishop in the presence of Emil Tscherrig, Apostolic Nuncio, Unification Minister Cheong Dong-young representing the South Korean government and leaders of other Churches and other religions as well as many members of the diplomatic corps.

Archbishop Andreas Choi Chang-mou, chairman of the Bishops' Conference of Korea, presided over the service which was attended by numerous priests and men and women religious.

The Cathedral was packed with the faithful; those who could not be inside followed the function from a giant screen placed outside the building.

Before the mass began, Mgr Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk, Archbishop of Seoul, thanked the faithful for the prayers they offered for the election of the Pope and urged them to ardently pray for Benedict XVI that he may accomplish his Petrine mission fruitfully.

In the homily, Archbishop Choi said that "the papacy is the visible character that Jesus has established as a sign of grace for the salvation of man. Thus, papal power and authority cannot be interpreted in socio-political terms".

"The Papacy is a ministry of service," he explained, "and it is therefore wrong to judge it as either conservative or progressive. Everything must be seen on the basis and in terms of the principles of the Church's development".

At the end of the mass, Archbishop Tscherrig also introduced Benedict XVI, speaking about the main points of the Pope's April 20 message.

He stressed the new Pope's resolve "to follow in the footsteps of his predecessor, John Paul II" and his commitment to ecumenism and inter-faith dialogue.

Every South Korean radio and TV station as well as newspaper covered the conclave and Benedict XVI's election with special programmes and services.

TAGs
Send to a friend
Printable version
CLOSE X
See also
Tensions between Seoul and Pyongyang rise as Cold War fears cast a shadow over Korea
12/02/2016 15:14
Pope talks about the Middle East, the Holy Land and the food crisis with Bush
13/06/2008
Wojtyła's death and the promising seed
08/04/2005
Korean Catholics, Buddhists and Protestants greet new Pope
20/04/2005
In the face and words of the Pope the humility of Christ, says Bishop of Mosul
26/04/2005


Newsletter

Subscribe to Asia News updates or change your preferences

Subscribe now
“L’Asia: ecco il nostro comune compito per il terzo millennio!” - Giovanni Paolo II, da “Alzatevi, andiamo”