SEOUL. The year that has just begun will be devoted entirely to the new evangelization, in which the laity will have a very prominent place. This was pointed out by the Bishops of South Korea in the various pastoral letters addressed to the faithful in 2013. In the Year of Faith, therefore, dedicated to strengthening the proclamation of the Gospel in a country where the Catholic community is continuously growing South Korea, with its five million Baptized, counts alongside the Philippines, India and Vietnam, among Asian countries, with the strongest presence of the faithful –this appears as a constant in the various dioceses.
This was noted by those responsible for the catechesis of the Catholic Bishops' Conference, who point out that especially the laity will be engaged in this task “with new ardor, new methods and new expressions.” On the subject of faith, in fact, nothing can be taken for granted; on the contrary, it is necessary to rediscover continually the novelty and the content of the Christian message. In this sense, the Bishops state that “the Church must first be evangelized in order to evangelize the world.” And, hence, the faithful must “renew and confirm themselves, strengthening their faith, in order to be witnesses of the Gospel.”
Precisely for this reason, so it is explained, the various dioceses have launched programs for the deepening and practice of the spirit and teachings of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the documents of the Second Vatican Council, the essential points of reference in the Year of Faith. The Bishops also suggest strengthening the “small Christian communities” and the commitment to the evangelization society, based on the pastoral care for the family and youth.
The Archbishop of Seoul, Andrew Yeom Soo-jung, in his pastoral letter, states that the focus of the work will be “the mission of the new evangelization with attention to the Year of faith.” The bishop suggested to the faithful five tracks to follow: meditation on the Word of God, the assiduity in prayer and the study and the study of the teachings of the Church, the Community contribution to the celebration of the Mass, the exercise of charity, as the fruit of faith.
This is the line of a path already exists in the booklet sent to all parishes in the archdiocese at the opening of the Year of Faith. For the prelate, in fact, the crisis of faith in the Korean Catholic “comes from a weak base for the promotion of the Christian message. I hope and I ask all of you to revive programs that, for the Year of Faith, foster a renaissance of our joint efforts.” Furthermore, in the document intended to “make this experience of the Year of Faith more fruitful,” the priests and religious are invited to implement “concrete plans” for greater participation of the communities in diocesan events. The new evangelization, moreover, is an issue that is particularly dear to the Bishop place at the helm of the archdiocese South Korea, last year on May 10th, by appointment of Pope Benedict XVI. In his first public statement –outlining the pastoral program for the Agency Fides illustrating he highlighted his intention to “keep the Church constantly focused on missionary work, encouraging at the same time, local initiatives. Jesus, who has dedicated his life to evangelization, wants all of us to actively engage in the effort to spread the Word of God.”
He added: “I will endeavor to revive the Church through evangelization initiatives and, at the same time, by actively supporting the ‘Movement of Evangelization 2020,’ initiated by Cardinal Cheong Jinsuk, which aims to increase the Catholic population in Korea by 20 % by the year 2020. The Church, when evangelizing, becomes truly Herself, as light, salt and leaven in the world.”
The Archbishop of Gwangju, Hyginus Kim Hee-joong, in his pastoral letter, also invites the faithful to live in 2013 under the banner of the new evangelization through the motto “The Church, a Family that Proclaims the Gospel.” The priority, explains the bishop, will be given to the pastoral care and to the mission for the family.
Among other messages, the Bishop of Daejeon, Lazzaro You Heung-sik, points out that the Christian community “must focus on young people and become involved in the life of the Church.”
In this line also fits into a recent production of the Bishops’ Conference: a ten-minute video entitled “The Catholic Church in Korea.” The work is intended to be a useful guide especially for those who encounter the reality of the Catholic Church for the first time. (L'Osservatore Romano, 01.15.2013)
