ASIA/KOREA - FAMILIES ON MISSION TO FAMILIES: CHURCH IN KOREA RELIES ON LAITY TO EVANGELISE SOCIETY

Monday, 3 November 2003

Seoul (Agenzia Fides) – More than 1.000 Catholic married couples have promised to engage in family mission throughout the archdiocese of Taegu. The initiative is a response to a need highlighted during a recent meeting of the Korean Bishops Conference on the theme of the family.
In Korea laity have always played a major role in evangelisation. Following a Pastoral Letter issued by the Catholic Bishops which focussed on the family as a centre of pastoral attention, as object but also subject of evangelisation, on 26 October the archdiocese of Taegu held a meeting for Families on how to implement the message proposed by the Bishops.
During the Meeting which had the theme, “We are One for Ever”, Archbishop Paul Ri mun-hi of Taegu told participants: “Husband and wife are called to from one body and to do this they must renounce self and serve one another”. During the meeting married couples renewed their marriage promises and committed themselves to leading a life of holiness in the family, to fight the culture of death and be open to life, to provide their children with a Christian education and become truly missionary families carrying the Gospel message to all the families they meet.
During the Meeting Rev. Paul Lee Chang young, Under-Secretary of the Korean Bishops’ Conference, reflected on the crisis of the family in Korea and put forward solutions to prevent the breaking up of families. He said “The future of the family is the future of the Church; the Catholic community must strive to found solid families which live the message of Christ in prayer, dialogue and solidarity ”. (PA) (Fides Service 3/11/2003 lines 32 words 305)


Share: