ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - Beatification cause of Korea’s second Catholic priest who could become the country’s first non martyr Saint

Seoul (Fides Service) - The Church in Korea has received permission from Rome to begin the cause of beatification of Confessor Thomas Choe Yang-eop, who died in 1861 and was Korea’s second Catholic priest. This will be the first beatification cause for a Korean Catholic who was not a martyr.
This cause will be independent of the cause of Servants of God Paul Yun Ji-chung and 123 Companions martyred 70 years earlier in 1791, only a few years after Christianity was introduced to Korea by lay converts coming from China.
The Korean Bishops Conference’s Commission for Beatifications and Canonisations told Fides that on March 5, Bishop Francis Xavier Ahn Myong-ok, Bishop of Masan, head of the Commission, received a letter from the Congregation for the Causes of Saints regarding the approval of the Decree of Ecclesiastical Competence and the nihil obstat declaring that there is no obstacle on the part of the Holy See to the cause of beatification of Confessor Thomas.
Rev Peter Ryu Han-young, Secretary of the Commission told Fides “We are sure that the abundant data prepared for the cause will enable a smooth process”.
Father Thomas Choe Yang-eop was Korea’s second Catholic priest after Saint Andrew Kim Tae-gon. Ordained a priest in 1849, Father Thomas devoted his entire life to pastoral ministry among the members of the early Church in Joseon. Exhausted by twelve years of enthusiastic ministry with tears and sweat, he caught typhoid fever and died in 1861. He wrote a few books on doctrine and nineteen beautiful Letters in Latin.
(PA) (Agenzia Fides 24/3/2004 lines 13 words 134)