SEOUL (SE): During Easter Sunday Mass, Andrew Cardinal Yeom Soo-jung of Seoul, south Korea, people to join in the Vaccine-Sharing Campaign of the Archdiocese of Seoul. Funds raised will be sent to the Vatican to help those in lower-income countries who have inadequate access to Covid-19 vaccines.
In a press release on April 14, the archdiocese said that the campaign is open to anyone and will run until November 27, the last day of the jubilees of the 200th anniversary of the birth of St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon.
In his Easter homily, Cardinal Yeom referred the Pope Francis’ Urbi et Orbi (to the city and the world) message and blessing, noting that the pope had called several times for universal access to vaccines.
“He urged the entire international community, in a spirit of global responsibility, to commit to overcoming delays in the distribution of vaccines and to facilitate their distribution, especially in the poorest countries,” the cardinal said.
Therefore in solidarity with the pope’s call, Cardinal Yeom announced that the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea had decided, at its spring general assembly, from March 8 to 12, to launch the Vaccine-Sharing Campaign.
The cardinal said, “We are living through difficult times caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The social and economic crisis remains severe, especially for those who live in poverty. Because it is the weak and the poor suffering the most when a crisis hits. Therefore, I would like to turn this crisis into opportunity to show our solidarity with parishes, organisations, congregations around the world and lend a helping hand to those in need.”
The Catholic Lay Apostolate Council of Seoul and the Catholic Peace Broadcasting Corporation will run a telephone fund-raiser for the campaign while making a theme song and a music video to inform and inspire people across the country.
