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: