South Koreans urged to pray for North Koreans

December 30, 2013 - Catholics in South Korea are to pray in a special way for their brothers and sisters in North Korea, so that the Lord may grant them abundant blessings of love, compassion and grace. This was the exhortation of Archbishop of Andrew Yeom Soo-jung of Seoul in his message for the New Year 2014. The archbishop wrote that everyone longs for a happy life, but real happiness lies within our own state of mind. “If we are thankful for what we have, and if we share it to other people, we find happiness easily through the life of loving our neighbors,” he said. However, he added that selfishness and greed prevent this happiness. “Hence to live happily one need to a humble life and put ourselves entirely in the hands of God.” As an example, he pointed to the Holy Family of Nazareth, saying, “it is important that we start by loving our own families". Meanwhile, Christians in reclusive Communist North Korea celebrated Christmas in underground tunnels that are hidden from the authorities, according to a refugee. Han Min, a North Korean who fled Pyongyang's Stalinist regime said Christians in the South have no idea how fervent the prayers of those in the North are, as they risk their lives gathering in secret in twos or threes, to celebrate religious functions.