In his first public address after arriving in South Korea, Pope Francis called on government officials to work for an authentic and far-reaching peace, which requires forgiveness and cooperation.
“Peace is not simply the absence of war, but ‘the work of justice,’” the Pope said Aug. 14, alluding to the words of the prophet Isaiah.
“And justice, as a virtue, calls for the discipline of forbearance; it demands that we not forget past injustices but overcome them through forgiveness, tolerance and cooperation,” he continued. “It demands the willingness to discern and attain mutually beneficial goals, building foundations of mutual respect, understanding and reconciliation.”
And yet, even as he was calling for a halt to "fruitless" shows of force, Seoul’s rival, North Korea, fired five projectiles into the sea, the Associated Press reported. North Korea has a long history of making sure it is not forgotten during high-profile events in the South, and Thursday’s apparent test firing off its eastern coast made its presence felt.
North Korea’s apparent test firing was conducted from Wonsan on its east coast and the initial three short-range projectiles flew about 135 miles, according to a South Korean Defense Ministry official who spoke on condition of anonymity, citing office rules. It wasn’t immediately clear what the projectiles were. After an initial three firings an hour before Francis arrived, North Korea followed up with two others a short time after he landed.
North Korea has conducted an unusually large number of short-range missile and artillery test firings this year. It has expressed anger over annual military drills between the United States and South Korea, which it says are invasion preparations. A new round of drills, which Seoul and Washington call routine and defensive, is expected to start in coming days.
Neither Francis nor South Korean president Park Geun-hye referred to the firings in their public remarks.
After an initial private Mass and a welcoming ceremony, the Pope met at the “Blue House” in Seoul with Park and government and civil authorities, as well as members of the diplomatic corps. He thanked those present for their warm welcome and expressed his joy in coming to Korea, with its natural beauty, as well as the beauty of its people, culture and history.
“This national legacy has been tested through the years by violence, persecution and war,” he lamented. “But despite these trials, the heat of the day and the dark of the night have always given way to the morning calm, that is, to an undiminished hope for justice, peace and unity.”
In the first speech of his first trip to Asia, Francis urgd the people of Korea not to become discouraged “in our pursuit of these goals which are for the good not only of the Korean people, but of the entire region and the whole world.”
The Argentine Pope usually speaks in Italian or his native Spanish, but the Vatican said he would deliver at least four speeches in English on the trip to accommodate his Asian audiences. They are the first English speeches of his pontificate.
Pope Francis drew a connection between two events that will occur during his five-day visit to the country: the beatification of 124 Korean martyrs and the celebration of the Sixth Asian Youth Day, uniting Catholics across the continent.
The martyrs are the elders of our faith, who teach us by their example how to live, he said. The young are those who receive the legacy of the past, with its ancestral wisdom, and “apply it to the challenges of the present.”
The Asian Youth Day is an opportunity to reflect on the hopes, concerns and transmission of values to the next generation, Francis said, adding that “it is especially important for us to reflect on the need to give our young people the gift of peace.”
Recognizing that this message is particularly significant in Korea given its lack of peace, he voiced appreciation and encouragement for reconciliation efforts underway on the peninsula, saying that they “are the only sure path to lasting peace.”
“Korea’s quest for peace is a cause close to our hearts, for it affects the stability of the entire area and indeed of our whole war-weary world,” he said.
Those who work in diplomacy play a special role in the quest for peace, the Pope noted, by replacing “the walls of distrust and hatred” with a “culture of reconciliation and solidarity,” brought about by dialogue rather than acts of retribution.
Pope Francis reminded the political and civic leaders that their work should be aimed at creating a peaceful, just and prosperous society, adding that “in an increasingly globalized world, our understanding of the common good, of progress and development, must ultimately be in human and not merely economic terms.”
He acknowledged social, political, economic and environmental challenges, urging these problems to be addressed with a spirit of dialogue and cooperation.
In addition, the Pope highlighted the need to show special concern for the poor, vulnerable and voiceless, “not only by meeting their immediate needs but also by assisting them in their human and cultural advancement.”
The Pontiff pointed to the second visit of Pope St. John Paul II to Korea 25 years ago. At the time, Pope John Paul II said that “the future of Korea will depend on the presence among its people of many wise, virtuous and deeply spiritual men and women.”
“In echoing his words today, I assure you of the continued desire of Korea’s Catholic community to participate fully in the life of the nation,” Pope Francis said, emphasizing the Church’s desire to support education of the youth and solidarity with the poor.
He called the nation to become “a leader also in the globalization of solidarity which is so necessary today: one which looks to the integral development of every member of our human family.”
Organizers of the Pope’s trip had invited a delegation of North Korean Catholics to attend his Aug. 18 Mass for peace and reconciliation at Seoul’s main cathedral. But late last month, North Korean authorities told the organizers that they wouldn’t participate for various reasons, a Vatican spokesman said.
North Korea’s constitution guarantees freedom of religion, but in practice only sanctioned services are tolerated by the government. The U.S. State Department says North Korea permits no religious freedom at all. Currently, there are no Vatican-sanctioned institutions or resident priests operating in North Korea.
As he arrived at an airport just south of Seoul, Francis shook hands with four relatives of victims of a South Korean ferry sinking that killed more than 300 and two descendants of Korean martyrs who died rather than renounce their faith. Some elderly Catholics wiped tears from their faces, bowing deeply as they greeted the Pope on the tarmac. A boy and girl in traditional Korean dress presented Francis with a bouquet of flowers, and he bowed in return. The Pope then stepped into a small, black, locally made car for the trip into Seoul where the official welcome ceremony and speeches took place.
Park, the South Korean president, said she hoped the Pope’s presence would heal the Korean Peninsula’s "long wounds of division," referring to the 1950-53 Korean War, which continues to divide the Koreas along the world’s most heavily guarded border.
"Division has been a big scar for all Koreans," she said.
Park credited Catholics in South Korea with playing a big part in making the country what it has become: South Korea has risen from poverty, war and dictatorship into Asia’s fourth biggest economy. She called the Korean martyrs "pioneers who spread freedom and equality," and said their sacrifice helped develop Korean society.
Reprinted courtesy of Catholic News Agency. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
And today we celebrate...