SEOUL (UCAN): Catholic leaders in South Korea called on the Catholic faithful to make strong efforts to revive their faith, battered by the Covid-19 pandemic and to work towards ecological conversion based on Pope Francis’ encyclical, Laudato Si’.
In his New Year message, Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taek of Seoul urged people to re-equip themselves “with a missionary spirit and start anew” as they emerge from the pandemic and return to normalcy, the Catholic Times reported on January 1.
“In 2023, to live as a ‘newly starting Church’ is to cultivate spiritual strength in the Holy Mass, the source of religious life, and to rekindle the life of faith that has shrunk through various devotional activities,” Archbishop Chung said.
The archbishop urged people to engage in activities such as adoration of the Eucharist, Holy Hour, participation in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, the exaltation of martyrs, and pilgrimage to holy places.
The other dioceses in South Korea also set forth the year 2023 towards ‘ecological conversion’ by taking cues from Laudato Si’ which urges everyone to “repent and modify [their] lifestyles and destructive systems.”
In 2023, to live as a ‘newly starting Church’ is to cultivate spiritual strength in the Holy Mass, the source of religious life, and to rekindle the life of faith that has shrunk through various devotional activities,
Archbishop Chung
Bishop Simon Kim Ju-young of Chuncheon in his pastoral letter, Living the Word and the seven-year journey of Laudato Si’, emphasised the need to harmoniously merge the objectives of the encyclical and living the Christian life.
“Living Laudato Si’ and living the word of God must go hand in hand and ultimately… it should be in a single direction,” the letter said.
The bishop said that the diocese would start operating a Laudato Si school this year “to create an environment where parishioners can more actively participate in living the Word and Laudato Si’.”
He also pointed out that the recently launched Online Youth Ecological Apostolic Meeting will be expanded to face-to-face meeting events.
The Archdiocese of Daegu which is due to celebrate its 120th founding anniversary in 2031 set the year 2023-2024 as the Year of Communion, aiming to create harmony “with God, with neighbours, and with creation” during this period.
The Diocese of Andong labelled its pastoral plan for 2023 Treasuring life-Toward an integrated ecological church that values life, which is to fulfill its responsibility to return livable earth to the future generation.
Living ‘Laudato Si’ and living the word of God must go hand in hand and ultimately… it should be in a single direction,
Bishop Kim
However, the Diocese of Daejeon decided to keep pursuing the goals set forth during the 2040 Carbon Neutral Declaration Mass on 26 September 2022, aiming to implement energy diagnosis in all parishes and institutions by the end of 2040. The diocese will also seek to install renewable energy sources across its territory to achieve carbon neutrality.
Given the ongoing Synod on Synodality, the diocese formulated a plan to harmonise the various charisms parishioners in pastoral councils so that members can participate in achieving the evangelisation of the Church.
The Archdiocese of Gwangju and the Diocese of Jeonju have also released their plans to work towards ecological conversion and care for the environment around them.
Apart from the pastoral plans laid out for the year, 2023 also marks the 100th anniversary of the Maryknoll Foreign Missions Society’s entry into Korea, the 70th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice, and the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and the Vatican.
Plans are reportedly underway to organise various events to commemorate these jubilees that hold historical importance for the Church in South Korea.
