ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - 1500th Mass for Korean Reconciliation; Faithful from South and North North Pray in spiritual communion

Friday, 13 February 2026 peace prayer mass

Archdiocese of Seoul

KOREA, REPUBLIC OF

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Seoul (Agenzia Fides) – “To celebrate Masses regularly for a single intention with unwavering devotion for almost 31 years is an unprecedented undertaking in the entire history of the Catholic Church in Korea. This demonstrates how important the task of peace on the Korean Peninsula and reconciliation and unity between North and South Korea is for our people,” emphasized Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick, OCD, Archbishop of Seoul and Apostolic Administrator of Pyongyang, as well as Chairman of the Committee for Reconciliation in Korea, when he celebrated the 1500th Mass for the Reconciliation and Unity of Korea on February 10 in the cathedral of the Korean capital. The special Eucharistic celebration takes place every Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, where the faithful pray for true peace and reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula. Over 400 people attended the service, which was organized by the Committee for Reconciliation of Korea in the Archdiocese of Seoul. Among them were the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Giovanni Gaspari; the former and first chairman of the Committee for Reconciliation of Korea, Archbishop Choi Chang-mou; and several politicians, including the Minister of Unification, David Chung Dong-young, as well as priests, religious, and members of the faithful. As a statement from the press office of the Archdiocese of Seoul indicates, Archbishop Chung emphasized in his homily: “Over the past 30 years, there have been moments when peace on the Korean Peninsula seemed within reach, and times when dialogue completely broke down and tensions reached their peak.” Today, he said, “it is unclear where and how dialogue can be resumed.” Nevertheless, he affirmed: “The efforts to understand the other side and to strive for reconciliation are by no means signs of weakness or a loss of touch with reality, but rather represent the most courageous decision.”
Regarding inter-Korean relations, Archbishop Chung pointed out that it is necessary to let go of the attitude of “feeling superior to others” in order to see one another “as brothers and sisters and neighbors.” Considering the significance of the Mass of Reconciliation, he remarked: “This Mass has safeguarded peace on the Korean Peninsula; it is a Eucharistic celebration of introspection and preparation for a new future.”
At the celebration of the 1500th Mass, Father Jung Soo Yong, Vice President of the Committee for Reconciliation in Korea, reported on the progress made so far, stating: “This Mass is being celebrated together with the new priests and pastoral workers of the year as part of the ‘The North Korean Church in My Heart’ campaign. Every week, in our prayers, we remember one of the 57 parish churches that existed in the North immediately after liberation.” He promised: “We will continue to carry the desire for peace on the Korean Peninsula and for better inter-Korean relations in our hearts. We will continue to pray together.” Minister David Chung Dong-young declared: “I hope that today’s Mass will be an opportunity for God’s will to be fulfilled on this earth, transforming hatred into love, discord into reconciliation, and division into unity.” The Mass, celebrated every Tuesday since the establishment of the Committee for Reconciliation in Korea in 1995, testifies to the faith, devotion, and perseverance of the faithful who began it 31 years ago. It was first celebrated on March 7, 1995, by the late Cardinal Kim Sou-hwan (then Archbishop of Seoul and Apostolic Administrator of Pyongyang) and continued by the Committee for Reconciliation, which was founded on March 1, 1995, the year marking the 50th anniversary of the liberation and division of the peninsula. At the end of the service, the faithful present recite the "Simple Prayer for Peace" by St. Francis of Assisi, "God, make me an instrument of your peace," which is recited simultaneously in Myeong-dong Cathedral in Seoul and Changchung Church in Pyongyang, the only Catholic church in North Korea. This practice stems from an agreement reached on August 15, 1995, between the Committee for Reconciliation in Korea and the official Catholic organization of North Korea, the Korean Catholic Association (KCA). Since then, the faithful in South Korea and North Korea have been united in spiritual communion once a week, praying for peace on the same day and at the same time. In Seoul, for about nine years now, a Rosary has also been prayed after Mass, invoking the intercession of Our Lady of Fatima for peace on the Korean Peninsula and in the world. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 13/2/2026)