Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Seoul (Agenzia Fides) - The response to threats of war are "abundant graces and blessings for our brothers and sisters, separated from us, in North Korea": This is what the Archbishop of Seoul, His Exc. Mgr. Andrew Yeom Soo-jung says in an Easter message, hoping that peace may always prevail in the Korean peninsula. The message, sent to Fides Agency, comes at a time of high political and military tension between the two Koreas.
Recalling that "love and peace of the Risen Lord have flooded the world of Easter joy," the Archbishop invites everyone to "pray for those suffering from physical and spiritual pain" and especially "for the brothers and sisters of North Korea ".
"With the resurrection of Jesus Christ, God shows us that death is not the end but a new beginning: we move from darkness to light, from death to a new life." That "new life" that the Archbishop wishes to all the Korean people, North and South, calling: "We live in a time when one needs peace more than ever, and we Christians must become the instrument that brings the peace of Jesus in the world. Our country is far from peace because of the unstable political situation and the dispute with North Korea. What should we do to become an instrument of peace? We must believe in the Resurrection of Christ and to live the Resurrection. To believe in Christ with profound faith in the face of evil or pain means to embrace the agony of others and help others to carry their cross."
The Archbishop points out the relevance of the Resurrection that "is not just an event that happened in the past": "The risen Lord is with us at the moment. If we believe in his presence, everything can be changed, nothing is impossible to God." "God's love and peace be with all of you and all of Korea," the message concludes. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 03/04/2013)
