SEOUL (SE): A Mass for lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula was concelebrated by Andrew Cardinal Yeom, the archbishop of Seoul and apostolic administrator of Pyongyang, along with the bishops of the archdiocese, on June 25 at Myeongdong Cathedral, marking the 71st anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War. Several priests and hundreds of Catholics also joined the Mass while observing Covid-19 regulations by wearing masks and maintaining social distance.
After praying a Rosary for peace, Cardinal Yeom thanked the Lord for “allowing us to celebrate the Mass for peace on the Korean Peninsula even during difficult times caused by Covid-19 pandemic. Let us pray for genuine reconciliation, unity and peace on this divided land remembering the tragedy of war.”
In his homily the cardinal noted, “In today’s gospel (Matthew 18:19-22), Jesus tells us to forgive the one who sins against us not seven times, but seventy-seven times. No process of peace can ever begin unless an attitude of sincere forgiveness takes root in human hearts. We think we are enduring and persevering in forgiveness, but it is, in fact, our Lord who is waiting for us.”
He continued, “Sometimes we ask ourselves why we have to forgive those who do not even deserve our forgiveness. However, to forgive is in fact the condition to be forgiven by God and it is also the condition for mutual reconciliation; it is therefore the condition for being reconciled with God. And this is indispensable for our salvation.”
‘I would like to reaffirm that peace is not simply the absence of war. Nevertheless, silencing weapons and extinguishing the hotbeds of war is an inevitable condition to begin a journey that leads to peace in its various aspects’
Cardinal Yeom
Cardinal Yeom went on to say, “I would like to reaffirm that peace is not simply the absence of war. Nevertheless, silencing weapons and extinguishing the hotbeds of war is an inevitable condition to begin a journey that leads to peace in its various aspects.”
The cardinal said, “Offering and accepting forgiveness is the essential condition for making the journey towards authentic and lasting peace. I am fully aware that forgiveness can seem contrary to human logic, which often yields to the dynamics of conflict and revenge. But forgiveness is inspired by the logic of love, that love which God has for every man and woman, for every people and nation, and for the whole human family.”
The Mass was organised by the Committee for National Reconciliation of the Archdiocese of Seoul. It has held a Mass, with a recitation of the Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi, for the reconciliation and unity of the Korean people each Tuesday at Myeongdong Cathedral until public Masses temporarily suspended due to the pandemic.
The Church in Korea has been endeavoring to be an effective tool for the reconciliation and unity of the Korean people and has invited o attend Mass on June 25 every year, since the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of Korea designated it the Day of Prayer for national reconciliation and unification in 1965.
