Pope pays tribute to industry and generosity of Korean people
On Thursday Pope Benedict received the new Ambassador from the Republic of Korea to
the Holy See, Thomas Hong-soon Han, who told the Holy Father that the people of his
nation are “very proud of the Catholic Church”, a Church founded, “not by any foreign
missionary but by Korean lay faithful themselves” and one that “boasts of the martyrdom
of more than ten thousand faithful who heroically offered their lives for the great
cause of God in the 19ts century”.
A professor of economics, consultant to
the Holy See’s Prefecture for Economic Affairs and President of the Korean Council
for the Laity, Ambassador Han presented his letter of credence to Pope Benedict, ensuring
him that the Catholic Church in Korea “is held in high esteem”, above all “for the
contribution she has made to the modernization and development of her country”.
Indeed
in his address to Ambassador Han, the Pope immediately paid tribute to the industry
and generosity of the Korean people in achieving “the remarkable economic growth that
your country has experienced in recent years, which has transformed Korea from a net
recipient of aid into a donor country”.
Quoting the Korean President whom he
met last year, Pope Benedict pointed out that “there are dangers involved in rapid
economic growth which can all too easily bypass ethical considerations, with the result
that the poorer elements in society tend to be excluded from their rightful share
of the nation’s prosperity”.
He continued “The financial crisis of recent
years has exacerbated the problem, but it has also focused attention on the need to
renew the ethical foundations of all economic and political activity”. Pope Benedict
dwelt on the commitment of the local Church for the good of society “its network of
schools, its work for interreligious dialogue, its charitable outreach to the poor
and the needy, particularly refugees and migrant workers who so often find themselves
on the margins of society”.
He also expressed his appreciation for the active
role played by the Republic of Korea within the international community. “By promoting
the peace and stability of the peninsula, as well as the security and economic integration
of nations throughout the Asia-Pacific region, through its extensive diplomatic links
with African countries, and especially by hosting next month’s G20 Summit in Seoul,
your Government has given ample proof of its role as an important player on the world
stage, and has helped to guarantee that the process of globalization will be directed
by considerations of solidarity and fraternity”.
Finally the Holy Father
said that none of this would be possible without the vital energy of Korean lay Catholics.
He noted the success of the Congress of Asian Catholic Laity that took place in Seoul
in early September, and in which Ambassador Han played an active role. “It is only
right – he concluded - that the Congress’s focus was on the lay faithful who, as you
have pointed out, not only sowed the first seeds of the Gospel on Korean soil but
bore witness in great numbers to their firm faith in Christ through the shedding of
their blood”.Emer McCarthy reports: