Pope’s rep in Korea: ‘This beginning was very positive’

Bishops of peninsula propose novena with 9 different intentions in wake of Trump-Kim summit

The pope’s representative in Korea, Archbishop Alfred Xuereb, said Tuesday’s meeting between the leaders of the United States and North Korea “was very positive, very good” and the Church is “full of hope and confidence,” even if this is just the beginning of a long process.

Speaking from Seoul in an interview with Vatican News, Archbishop Xuereb described the summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as “marking an important page at the beginning of a long and arduous road.”

“We are hopeful because this beginning was very positive, very good” and we’ve moved from rhetoric and words like “fire and fury” and “the complete devastation of North Korea” to more conciliatory words that speak about peace, the prelate said.

“The Holy See wishes to offer its support to any initiative in favour of dialogue and reconciliation and also take advantage of this to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to North Korea,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Catholic bishops of Korea have proposed a novena from June 17 to 25.

They are proposing nine intentions for each of the nine days of prayer:

For healing following the separation of the Korean people; for families who have been separated by the Korean war; for the brothers and sisters who live in the North;

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What is a novena?

for refugees from the North who currently live in the South; for politicians of the North and the South; for the evangelization of the North; for the promotion of exchange and dialogue between South and North; for true reconciliation between the two nations; for the peaceful reunification of the peninsula.

Just over a month ago the leaders of North and South Korea signed an agreement in which they agreed to pursue talks on a peace treaty as well as denuclearization.

The archbishop of Singapore, where the Kim-Trump summit took place, also proposed a prayer, which included in part this exhortation:

May nations learn to trust each other and work towards world peace for all human kind.