Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Seoul (Agenzia Fides) - “Through the ages, Asia has given the Church and the world a great host of these heroes of the faith, and from the heart of Asia there rises the great song of praise: Te martyrum candidatus laudat exercitus. This is the song of those who died for Christ on Asian soil in the first centuries of the Church, and it is also the joyful cry of men and women of more recent times like Saint Paul Miki and his companions, Saint Lorenzo Ruiz and his companions, Saint Andrew Dung Lac and his companions, Saint Andrew Kim Taegon and his companions. May the great host of Asian martyrs, old and new, never cease to teach the Church in Asia what it means to bear witness to the Lamb in whose blood they have washed their shining robes (cf. Rev 7:14)! May they stand as indomitable witnesses to the truth that Christians are called always and everywhere to proclaim nothing other than the power of the Lord's Cross! And may the blood of Asia's martyrs be now as always the seed of new life for the Church in every corner of the continent!”
This passage of the post synodal Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesial in Asia is the theme chosen for this year's annual celebrations all over Korea to commemorate Andrea Kim Taegon, Paolo Chong and companion martyrs on their feast day today 20 September.
The feast day of Andrea Kim and companions, celebrated today in Catholic churches all over the world, is an opportunity for this local Church to look back on its history, the arrival of the Gospel in Korea in the 17th century carried by lay Catholics coming from China. Although without clergy the lay faithful built up a fervent community led only by lay people until 1836 when the first French missionaries arrived in secret to assist the faithful.
This Christian community suffered harsh persecutions in 1839, 1846, 1866 and 1867, and many of the faithful were killed including 103 canonised martyrs among them the first Korean born priest, Saint Andrea Kim Taegon, ardent pastor of souls and lay apostle Paul Chong Hasang. In all, 10,000 men, women and children sealed with their blood the wondrous beginnings of the Catholic Church in Korea. In 1984 in Seoul Saint Andrea Kim Taegon and companion martyrs were canonised by John Paul II, during the first canonisation ever to be held outside Rome.
Many other Koreans are on the way to the honour of the altars. In 2004 the diocesan cause was opened for the Beatification for Paul Yun Ji-chung and 123 companions tortured and killed for the faith in 1791. In 2006 Incheon diocese started the local process for the Beatification of lay missionary John Song Hae-bung martyred during the Korean War (1950-1953). This is the first beatification cause for a lay Catholic in the period after Japanese occupation.
In 2007 Chunchon and Hamhung began collecting testimony for the beatification of 20th century martyrs: priests and religious killed between 1940 and 1950 while evangelising in the areas of Gangwon-do and Hamgyeong-do. Lastly, the local community of Saint Ottilia Benedictines has announced the opening of the process of beatification for 36 Catholics who died while assisting Christian detainees in labour and prison camps during the Korean War 1949 and 1952. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 20/09/2007 righe 34 parole 365)
