ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - Reconciliation with “brothers and sisters in North Korea”, pastoral priority for Archbishop Nicholas Cheong of Seoul

Friday, 3 March 2006

Seoul (Fides Service) - Korea’s newly named Cardinal Archbishop Nicholas Cheong of Seoul has urged Catholics to be “salt, light and leaven in society”, to assist poor, excluded and marginalised people and channels of reconciliation particularly with North Korea.
In a homily during mass in Seoul Cathedral the newly named Cardinal, who is also apostolic administrator of Pyongyang capital of N. Korea, asked Catholics to “pray that our brothers and sisters of North Korea may live happily and be blessed with God’s mercy”. He also said that one of his pastoral priorities is to promote national reconciliation and concrete aid to the impoverished people in North Korea.
His hopes appear to be coming true. On March 2 after a two year interval talks between the two Koreas resumed. Military leaders from Seoul and Pyongyang met in the village of Panmunjeon in the demilitarised strip of land which separates the two states. One aim of the meeting is to improve relations of trade, security and transport. Observers see the new talks as part of a slow process of rapprochement which started in 2000 with the history making summit meeting of the respective leaders but was later interrupted. (Agenzia Fides 03/03/2006 Righe: 25 Parole: 265)


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