by TONY KIM
On December 8, 1791, the royal court beheaded Paul Yun Ji-Chung and his nephew James Kwon for burning their ancestral tablet out of obedience to a Catholic decree by then-Bishop A. Gouvea of Beijing. Ten years later, hundreds more Catholics would be executed and exiled due to their religious faith, which was seen as a threat to the Confucian social hierarchy strictly adhered to in Korea at the time.
When Pope Francis visits Korea this month, he will beatify Paul Yun Ji-Chung, known as Korea’s first martyr, and his 123 martyr companions executed in the 19th century.
Beatification is a formal declaration by the Pope that the recipient is in heaven and followers may pray to him or her. It is the third step in a four-step process of canonization, which results in sainthood of a religious figure.
Despite such early persecution, today there is a sizable Korean Catholic population, which has risen to more than 5 million followers, and observers say this is mainly attributable to the remarkable perseverance of Catholic laypeople. Estimates say that more than 10,000 Korean followers were killed for their faith throughout the 19th century alone. Authorities also tried to prevent the spread of the faith by banning Catholic texts, then available in both Korean and Chinese, according to an article by the Catholic News Agency.
In 1984, then-Pope-now-Saint John Paul II, at a mass canonizing 103 Korean martyrs, said this about them: “This fledgling Church, so young and yet so strong in faith, withstood wave after wave of fierce persecution … the years 1791, 1801, 1827, 1839, 1846 and 1866 are forever signed with the holy blood of your martyrs and engraved in your hearts.”
During Pope Francis’ stay in Korea, from August 14 to 18, he will also visit President Park Geun-hye at the Blue House, the Shrine of the Martyrs of Seo So Mun and a rehabilitation center for disabled people in Kkottongnae. He will participate in Asian Youth Day, an event expected to bring together more than a thousand young people from 29 countries to “walk together, in the world of today, as witnesses, with Jesus and the martyrs,” according to organizers.
Francis’ visit to Korea will be the first papal visit to Asia since 1989, when John Paul II went to Azerbaijan. John Paul II traveled to Korea on two occasions: in the spring of 1984 and the fall of 1989.
Although John Paul II, who survived an assassination attempt, was known for riding in the famous, bulletproof Popemobile, Francis prefers more modest vehicles—and requested a small, Korean-made car while traveling in the country. He’s reportedly getting a Kia Soul.
