Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Committee for Communications, Archdiocese of Seoul
Seoul (Agenzia Fides) - The Catholic faithful of Seoul gathered for prayer at the Seosomun Shrine, where the memory of Blessed Paul Yun Ji-chung and his 123 companions, martyred at the end of the 18th century, was celebrated in their final hours.
The Archbishop of Seoul, Peter Soon-taick Chung, presided over the solemn Mass, which marked the 11th anniversary of the beatification, presided over by Pope Francis during his visit to Korea in 2014. Cardinal Andrew Soo-jung Yeom, Archbishop Emeritus of Seoul and Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Pyongyang, and Job Yo-bi Koo, Auxiliary Bishop of Seoul, concelebrated along with several dozen priests.
In his homily, Archbishop Soon-taick Chung addressed the significance of the place where the Mass was celebrated. Many Catholics were killed at the site of the shrine during the anti-Christian persecutions in the Joseon Dynasty. Among them are today 44 saints and 27 blessed.
"This holy land is soaked with the blood of those who testified to their love for God through martyrdom," said the archbishop, emphasizing that over time the site has become "fertile ground for the Korean Church." "The sacrifice of these witnesses laid the foundation on which our faith community rests today," he said.
"Their faith remains a living example, a compass that guides us even today," the Archbishop of Seoul continued, before quoting the words spoken by Pope Francis during the beatification Mass: "They were willing to make great sacrifices and renounce everything that could have separated them from Christ, because they knew that he alone was their true treasure."
And it is precisely the example of these martyrs "that calls each of us to bear witness to the love of God through an authentic Christian life." Through their actions, he continued, "they entrusted us with a mission that demands our charity and our commitment to justice and reconciliation."
Therefore, Archbishop Soon-taick Chung concluded, "today we not only remember the martyrs, but we renew our commitment to the fidelity of which they were an example. The courage, conviction, and unwavering love they demonstrated must serve as a guide for our present and future generations."
The Archdiocese of Seoul announced that the descendants of the Servants of God Kwon Il-shin and Yi Seung-hun, two figures of early Korean Catholicism, were also present at the celebration, symbolizing the bond between that first generation that gave its life for the Catholic faith and the Church of today. (F.B.) (Agenzia Fides, 30/5/2025)
