SOUTH KOREA-NORTH KOREA Bishops of Korea make pilgrimage to the church on the 38th parallel to pray for peace

The pilgrimage for the unity of the Korean people was led by the president of the Episcopal Conference, 70 years after the armistice. At the closest Catholic place of worship to Pyongyang, prayers were held before the Eucharist. The message expresses concern about the renewed tensions and the risk of a nuclear escalation: “The resumption of dialogue, not deterrence with weapons, is the path to peace.”

Seoul () – This June, the Catholic Church in South Korea is commemorating the 70th anniversary of the 1953 armistice, which ended the armed confrontation with Pyongyang, leaving behind the wound of a divided country. On June 6, a delegation of the country’s bishops made an important symbolic gesture with a pilgrimage to the JSA Church, the small church that has been built since 2019 in Paju, in the South Korean province of Gyeonggi, in the demilitarized zone (JSA) that along the 38th parallel marks the de facto border with North Korea.

The pilgrimage was led by the Bishop of Suwon, Monsignor Mathias Ri Iong Hoon, president of the Episcopal Conference. The JSA church was inaugurated in 2019 and its architectural style is reminiscent of the Porziuncula, the church of San Francisco in Assisi, precisely to bring a message of peace to a place marked by war. The bishops met with the military serving in the border area, celebrated Mass and later worshiped in front of the Eucharist in what is in fact the closest church to North Korea. Explaining the meaning of this gesture to journalists, Msgr. Ri Iong-hoon commented: “With the desire for unity between the North and the South, we have prayed for the reconciliation of the Korean people and for a climate of peace to be achieved soon as possible”.

In a message that was released these days, entitled “May peace reign in your hearts (Col. 3.15)”, the bishops speak of the new tensions that are taking place in relations between Seoul and Pyongyang. The text is signed, on behalf of the Episcopal Conference, by the Archbishop of Seoul, Msgr. Peter Chung Soon-taek, president of the Justice and Peace Commission – who as archbishop of the capital is also apostolic administrator of Pyongyang – and by the bishop of Chunchon, Msgr. Simon Kim Ju-young, president of the National Reconciliation Commission.

“The conflict between the North and the South – say the bishops – is not new, because the war never really ended, but in these days we are once again faced with a serious crisis. The thesis prevails that ‘peace’ can only be preserved by force. North Korea’s missile tests continue, and military exercises between South Korea and the United States in response have been massive. Dialogue to find a peaceful solution has long been suspended and the vicious circle of armed displays continues. In addition, communications between the North and the South have been disrupted and the possibility of an incident escalating into an accidental armed conflict is of great concern.”

The message expressly mentions the possibility of a nuclear conflict, evoked by Pyongyang in its September decree on nuclear weapons but also by US President Biden’s promise to his South Korean counterpart Yoon to respond with US nuclear weapons in the event of a Korean nuclear attack. from North.

“If we want to avoid war and reduce military tensions, we must resume serious talks – say the bishops -. Although the road may be long and tiring, we cannot give up our efforts for peace on the Korean Peninsula. Because God “has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has entrusted to us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Cor 5:18). That is why believers, following the example of Christ, believe that forgiveness and reconciliation efforts are essential and we are certain that true peace can be achieved through trust. Sincere meetings, dialogue and mutual understanding efforts are the path to peace, not high-tech weapons and the might of military forces.”

With this intention, the Korean Catholic Church invites all the faithful to join in prayer in a special way on July 27, the date of the 70th anniversary of the armistice. On that day, a special mass for peace will be held at the Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul.