Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick of Seoul reiterated his commitment to work for peace during a meeting with South Korean Unification Minister Lee In-young early this month.
“As apostolic administrator of Pyongyang, I would like to express my gratitude to President Moon Jae-in for asking the Holy Father to pray for peace on the Korean peninsula during his visit to the Vatican,” the prelate told the minister during the meeting on January 19.
The prelate also praised the exhibition titled “Barbed wire becomes a symbol of Peace,” which was organized by the Ministry of Unification of the Republic of Korea in Rome.
Lee, meanwhile, said the pope “brought comfort and consolation to all Koreans.”
He also expressed appreciation for the efforts of the Archdiocese of Seoul in providing humanitarian aid to North Korea through various channels.
Lee said the Church in Korea has implemented peace and cultural awareness initiatives, such as the “Peace Pilgrimage” that includes a visit to the demilitarized zone and the annual international conference “Korean Peninsula Peace-sharing Forum.”
He said the Korean government wants the Korean Catholic Church “to continue to play an important role in achieving peace between the two Koreas.”
During the meeting, Archbishop Chung introduced and presented the special program titled “The Korean Peninsula and the Synodal Path to Peace in 2022: Commemoration, Communication, Communion.”