By UCA News reporter
SOUTH KOREA – Participants at a Seoul Archdiocese-run international forum discussing peace in the world and the Korean Peninsula have urged Catholic and civil society groups to become “masters of peace” and “patient bridge-builders.”
The 10th Korean Peninsula Peace-sharing Forum, themed “Masters of Peace and the Catholic Community,” was held on Nov 14 at Myeong-dong Cathedral, the archdiocese said in a press statement issued on Nov 18.
The forum’s theme was inspired by the late Pope Francis’ encyclical Fratelli Tutti.
Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick, chair of the committee, recalled that Pope Francis likened peace to architecture and art and taught people to become “Masters of Peace,” while embarking on a journey of “healing and new encounters.”
“Our Christian sense of mission to achieve peace is needed now more than ever,” Chung said.
The prelate urged his listeners to “actively participate in the path to achieving peace on the Korean Peninsula and in the world within the Catholic community.”
Participants in the forum included clergy and experts from churches worldwide — including those from the Middle East, the Balkans, Latin America, Asia, and Europe.
They shared “experiences in peacebuilding” and explored the “role of the Church in fostering reconciliation between North and South Korea,” the archdiocese said.
Archbishop Giovanni Gaspari, the Vatican’s Apostolic Nuncio in Korea, Cardinal Andrew Yeom Soo-jung of Seoul, Mexican Ambassador Carlos Peñafiel Soto, and Costa Rican Ambassador Jorge Enrique Valerio Hernández, among others, attended the event.
Archbishop Gaspari lauded the forum and the institute for its activities, which have grown over the years, “becoming a point of reference in the Christian and civil community of Korea.”
Gaspari pointed out that the forum’s theme “echoes the heart of the teaching of Leo XIV.”
“Our Church is called to serve as patient bridge-builders, offering hope and healing with gentle hands and open hearts,” Gaspari emphasized.
The prelate also lauded the activities of the Catholic youth through the Thomas Society as a “concrete way of bringing the light of Christ to our society and the Korean Peninsula.”
The Thomas Society is the first youth organization in the Korean Catholic Church dedicated to studying and researching issues related to peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Katarina Zellweger, the former director of Caritas Internationalis North Korea Program, shared her experience of living in Pyongyang and overseeing humanitarian aid to North Korea from 1995 to 2006.
“Although the road back to diplomacy and engagement will be long and difficult — again, patience and determination will be needed,” Zellweger said.
“When the door to North Korea opens again, we need to be ready to take action,” Zellweger emphasized.
Seoul, on Nov 17, proposed talks with Pyongyang to avoid border clashes, the first such move in seven years to thaw the ongoing strained relations between the nations, AFP reported.
Seoul and Pyongyang have technically remained at war since 1953. The Armistice Agreement, which halted the conflict between them, was never followed by a peace treaty.
North Korea is yet to respond to the proposal, which, if accepted, will be the first military talks between the two sides since 2018.
Meanwhile, plans are afoot to host and organize events themed around peace on the Korean Peninsula by cooperating with churches around the world and local parishes.
The events have been planned ahead of the 2027 Catholic World Youth Day in Seoul and the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Pyongyang Diocese, Seoul Archdiocese said. – UCA News
