Seoul (Fides Service) - In Korea as the 30th anniversary of the highly unpopular Mother and Child Health Law which allows abortion in almost all cases approaches, there is a growing movement inside and outside the local Catholic Church to abolish the law. Rev Casimir Song Yul-sup, secretary general of the CBCK, a leading member of the Campaign launched by the Catholic Church in Korea to abolish the law, explains to Fides Service: "This is a field in which we must be fully committed, people appear to be accustomed to death and to consider the culture of death as something natural, even when they claim they support a culture of life. To receive the Blessed Sacrament in holy communion and then pay the doctor for an abortion is to deny Jesus Christ". Quoting Mother Teresa of Calcutta Rev Casimir said "abortion means killing Jesus. The Gospel of Life is closely connected with the Gospel of Love: these aspects are not separate and if the Gospel of Life fades away then so does the Gospel of Love", Rev Casimir says, adding that hedonism and selfishness are the source of the culture of death whereas a authentic renewal of society depends on the capacity to rebuild a culture of life. "We need new enthusiasm and new ways, new language proper to New Evangelisation, to reach the hearts of people", he says adding that the Church must aim for a cultural rather than a dogmatic approach to obtain wider consensus. "The Spirit is wind, we hear new hope blowing in the wind in the Church".
Cardinal Stephen Kim, emeritus Archbishop of Seoul has promised to support "Life 31" Movement which the Catholic Church in Korea develops with seven other religions, civic groups and international pro-life movements. The Movement 31 will be officially launched on February 7. For the occasion there will be a memorial Mass for all aborted lives and a candle light procession. PA (Fides Service 31/1/2003)