The secret to his success? Korean press analyzes Papal Visit

(Vatican Radio) As Pope Francis makes his way back to Rome, Vatican Radio’s Seán Patrick Lovett looks at the how the local press is analyzing the Holy Father’s Apostolic Voyage to Korea.

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What is the secret to Pope Francis’ success? How does he keep up his energy level? What is it exactly that makes him so popular? And what are the lessons we’ve learned from this papal visit to Korea?

No, I’m not the one asking those questions – the Korean media are.

The papal plane wasn’t even off the ground on Monday when newspapers and news programmes around the country were already in analysis mode.  Frequently, they end up answering their own questions.

For example, most of the local papers unanimously attribute what we have come to know (for some time now) as “The Francis Effect” to what they call “gong-gam” – literally translated as “the ability to enter into communion with another person”. There is no one-word version for the same in English. “Sympathetic” or “nice” just don’t do it justice. They say that he’s funny, a brilliant communicator and, most important of all, that his actions speak louder than words. All things the rest of us have known for some time now – but, here in Korea, everything about Pope Francis is a brand new discovery.

Even seasoned pope-watchers, however, have been amazed by his stamina. Just in case you didn’t know, it’s an eleven-hour flight from Rome to Seoul and there’s a seven-hour time difference. That can do awkward things to your metabolism and your sleeping habits. But Pope Francis has never shown signs of being affected by either. The press claims it’s because he doesn’t eat much anyway and is driven by an almost superhuman will-power. Perhaps. All I know is that, in private, Pope Francis gets down on his knees every day and gives thanks for what he calls “Grace”.

His popularity is easiest to understand, at least according to Korean media. It’s because he does all the things they’d like to see their politicians doing. Things like paying more attention to the social, economic and generational divisions and injustices that plague the country. Or even something as straightforward as sharing the pain of parents who have been waiting four months to understand why their children drowned in a ferry accident: ten of the victims’ bodies have still to be recovered.   

And as for the lessons to be learned – the Korean press is unanimous in its conclusions is this regard as well: quite simply, all of the above.