Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Seoul (Agenzia Fides) – A report to learn about the data of the persecutions that struck Catholics on the Korean peninsula in the 19th century. The centenary of the Eucharistic liturgy celebrated on July 5, 1925, in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, during which the first Korean martyrs were proclaimed blesseds, will also be commemorated, through the publication of documents and official records useful for reconstructing this period of witness and martyrdom.
These were 79 Catholics who were killed "in odium fidei" for their faith during the persecutions of Gihae (1839) and Byeong-o (1846). In the 19th century (religious freedom was not granted to Catholics in Korea until 1895), the Korean Church estimates that approximately 16,000 Catholics were killed.
To commemorate this event, the Committee for Honoring the Martyrs of the Archdiocese of Seoul has organized a series of events, beginning with a Eucharistic celebration on July 5. At 3 p.m., Archbishop Jeong Sun-taek will preside over Mass at the Shrine of the Martyrs of Seosomun, the church built on the site where executions were carried out during the Joseon Dynasty. A total of 41 of the 79 martyrs beatified in the Vatican on July 5, 1925, died at this site, which is considered "the greatest place of martyrdom in the Korean Church."
At the end of the mass, the "Data on the persecution of Gihae and Byeong-o" will be presented. This report contains official data and documents on the persecution of Gihae and Byeong-o. These are official documents from the "Annals of the Joseon Dynasty," the "Diary of the Royal Secretariat," and the "Declaration of the Office of Military Affairs."
The entire report was compiled based on communications and reports exchanged between the Ministry of Justice and the Police Office, which differentiates it from existing historical materials, as it focuses almost exclusively on the testimonies of those who lived through that time. Furthermore, in addition to the original texts, the study also includes translations into contemporary Korean, making the collection easy to consult for researchers.
To conclude the initiatives, an exhibition entitled "Anima Mundi" will open on the evening of July 5. "Anima Mundi" is also the name of the section of the Vatican Museums that collects the legacy of the World Missionary Expo that Pope Pius XI wanted to create in the Vatican Gardens on the occasion of the Jubilee of 1925 (see Fides 28/3/2025). The Korean Church also participated in this event and presented itself to the world for the first time. The exhibition, modeled on the pavilion erected in the Vatican Gardens one hundred years ago, traces the situation of the Korean Church at that time. (F.B.) (Agenzia Fides, 1/7/2025)
