Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Seoul (Fides Service) - The Catholic church Movement of the Focolari is bearing fruit in South Korea, encouraging laity to take part in evangelisation. Recently about 3,700 young people took part in a “Gen Fest” initiative organised by the Movement which shows enthusiasm and vitality it manages to infuse in the Church in Korea where traditionally the laity have played an important role in the activity of the Church helping the clergy in pastoral work and evangelisation.
The Movement, which celebrated its 60 anniversary in December 2003 in the Vatican when the foundress Italian laywoman Chiara Lubich was received in a private audience by Pope John Paul II, is taking root all over the world. The recent Gen-Fest, the third in Korea, following similar events in 1987 and 1993, brought together young people, Catholics, other Christians and also followers of other religions, not only from all over Korea but also from Thailand, Japan, and as far away as Italy, Germany. The Festival, a time of reflection and festivities was an opportunity to learn more about the Christian faith focusing on four main themes: “Me”, “Family”, “Society”, “ World”.
Bishop Lazzaro You Heung Sik, coadjutor of Daejeon, close to the Focolari spirituality told Fides that lay movements have a great responsibility for evangelisation in Korea. “We have focused our activity on the proclamation of the Word of God, in order to respond to a situation of materialism, hedonism, secularisation, indifference to religious values. We realise the importance and the need to proclaim the Gospel to those who have never heard it. As the encyclical Evangelii Nuntiandi says, we must all become authentic Christians who live the Gospel in their daily life: only then will Christians be true witnesses and work as leaven in society”. Among the challenges facing the Church in Korea the Bishops mentions spreading new religions and movements such as New Age, a theme which was on the agenda during the last meeting of the Korean Bishops’ Conference in March. “To counter this phenomenon, the Bishop told Fides we aim to empower the laity to enable them to be more active in the mission of the Church”.
The Work of Mary, the official name of the Focolari Movement had its beginning when Chiara Lubich consecrated her aspirations to God in 1943 in Trent, Italy. The Work, for the unity and the service of the Church and the world, spread all over the world. When the Pope congratulated the foundress and the Movement on the 60th anniversary last December, he said the members were “apostles of dialogue as a privileged path to promote unity in the Church, dialogue both ecumenical and interreligious as well as dialogue with non believers”.
(PA) (Agenzia Fides 17/6/2004 lines 35 words 398)
