(UCAN): The Vatican has allowed the launch of the sainthood process for Stephen Cardinal Kim Sou-hwan, the first Korean cardinal who was known for his initiatives in interfaith dialogue and lay participation.
The Archdiocese of Seoul said in a statement on July 5 that it has received the “no objection” letter from the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints to start the process.
Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick of Seoul received the letter on June 18, allowing the archdiocese to venerate Cardinal Kim [1922 to 2009] as a Servant of God. Auxiliary Bishop Job Koo Yobi of Seoul was named to chair the archdiocesan committee to investigate the late cardinal’s life, heroic deeds, and reputation for sainthood.
Cardinal Kim “was respected and loved by many for his example of personal virtue, [and] his dedication to the growth of the Korean Church,” the statement noted.
The archdiocese also recalled the cardinal’s “contributions to democracy and the promotion of human rights” as the 11th archbishop of Seoul. He was called the “friend of the poor and marginalised.”
The archdiocese said, “He practiced his love of giving until the end by donating his corneas.”
Catholics in the nation have repeatedly voiced their desire to canonise Cardinal Kim, who played a key role in South Korea’s civic and religious spheres.
The cardinal was born in 1922 and ordained a priest in 1951. He studied philosophy at the Catholic University of Jochi Daigaku in Tokyo and sociology at Munster University in Germany.
He was ordained as the bishop of Masan diocese in 1966 and the archbishop of Seoul in 1968. In 1969, Pope Paul VI made him a cardinal.
In Seoul, he worked wholeheartedly toward implementing the spirit of Vatican II and intensified evangelisation efforts with lay participation. He also prioritised interfaith dialogue and humanitarian and charitable endeavours.
He was president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea from 1973 to 1977 and the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conference from 1974 to 1977.
