Holy See names 2 administrators for North Korea

UCANews

SEOUL, South Korea (UCAN) -- Pope Benedict XVI has appointed new apostolic administrators for Hamhung diocese and Tokwon territorial abbacy in North Korea, ending the Benedictine order's administration of the former.

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea announced Dec. 31 that the pope has decided the bishop of Chuncheon and the abbot of the Benedictine order's Waegwan Abbey "should act as the apostolic administrators of Hamhung diocese and Tokwon territorial abbacy," respectively, "as long as the present situation prevails."

The two prelates who inherit the responsibilities are Bishop John Chang Yik of Chuncheon and Abbot Simon Peter Ri Hyeong-u. However, no regular church administrative structures actually exist in North Korea, where no known Catholic priest or Religious has lived since the Korean War (1950-53).

According to the bishops’ conference, it received an official letter from the apostolic nunciature in Korea on Dec. 28 informing it of the new arrangement and that the Holy See had accepted the resignation of Benedictine Abbot Placid Ri Tong-ho as apostolic administrator of both Hamhung diocese and Tokwon abbacy.

Abbot Simon Peter Ri told UCA News Jan. 3 that the Holy See made the decision after hearing that the bishops’ conference and the Benedictines had agreed to it.

"Managing the two church territories in North Korea now goes beyond our ability indeed. And the Korean Catholic Church has grown up enough to serve Hamhung diocese without our help," the 59-year old abbot said.

The new apostolic administrator of Tokwon added that Abbot Placid Ri resigned from the two posts because he is in his 70s and has health problems. Abbot Placid Ri resigned as head of Waegwan Abbey in 1985.

The Benedictines first came to Korea in 1909 when two German Benedictine priests started work in Seoul. According to the 1997 Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, a dispute with French missioners in Seoul "made them accept to manage and move to the Wonsan diocese (apostolic vicariate)," when it was carved out of Seoul apostolic vicariate in 1920, "even though it conflicted with their original mission policy" of not running dioceses.

On Jan. 12, 1940, the Tokwon territorial abbacy was carved out of Wonsan apostolic vicariate. At the same time, the name of Wonsan was changed to Hamhung. Both territories were under the Benedictines. In 1962, the apostolic vicariate of Hamhung was elevated to a diocese.

The Benedictines re-established themselves in Waegwan, South Korea, in the territory of Daegu archdiocese, after 29 German and Korean Benedictines including Bishop Bonifatius Sauer were executed or died in prison camps during the Korean War.

Bishop Chang told UCA News on Jan. 4 that since half of his diocese's territory is in North Korea and near to Hamhung diocese, the Holy See assigned him as apostolic administrator of the diocese.

"We have hardly had any contact with Hamhung diocese so far, but I take it as a great task which I will do my best to undertake with help from God and many other good people," he said.

Gangwon (Kangwon) province was split when the Korean peninsula was divided after Korea's liberation from Japanese rule in 1945. Chuncheon diocese, based in Chuncheon, 80 kilometers northeast of Seoul, covers North Gangwon province in North Korea as well as two counties in Gyeonggi province and the middle of Gangwon province in South Korea.

Although people in the South have little access to North Korea, Bishop Chang started helping starving North Koreans in 1997. He conducted an aid campaign in his diocese and sent 300 tons of potatoes to famine-stricken North Gangwon province through the Republic of Korea National Red Cross.

Father Julius Kim Hyun-joon, secretary of Chuncheon diocese's Committee for the Reconciliation of the Korean People, told UCA News on Jan. 4 that the diocese also sent five medically equipped vehicles to the region in 2000 and 2001 to help prevent tuberculosis in children.

He added that under Bishop Chang's leadership, the diocese has launched another aid campaign to send coal to North Gangwon.

In December 2003, Bishop Chang went to North Korea to attend the launching ceremony for a salmon hatchery in North Gangwon. Chuncheon diocese contributed to the project by supplying equipment worth 26 million won (then US$22,000).

The (North) Korean Roman Catholics' Association claims there are about 3,000 Catholics in North Korea. The association, based at Changchung Church in Pyongyang, the only Catholic church in the North, says 250 to 300 people regularly attend its Sunday services.

Some priests who have visited from the South in recent years have celebrated Mass at Changchung Church.