RSSA local police chief has visited Auxiliary Bishop Lucas Kim Un-hoe of Seoul and offered an apology for police violence against Catholic priests.
 |
|
Police officers restraining Father Bartholomew Moon |
Cho Hyun-bai, chief of Yongsan Police Station visited the prelate at his office on June 24 and apologized in person for the conduct of his officers, according to a press release from Seoul archdiocese that same day.
The visit came a day after Bishop Kim issued a statement expressing grave concern about police action against priests who were conducting prayers in memory of people allegedly assaulted by police at a redevelopment site.
Six people died in the incident in January.
The bishop also criticized the government´s “cold” attitude toward the urban poor and society´s underprivileged members.
At the meeting with Bishop Kim, Cho promised there would be no repeat of these “disgraceful” incidents again, the recent archdiocesan press release added.
Bishop Kim, who heads Seoul archdiocese´s social ministry, accepted the apology and asked that the police deal with the matter flexibly. The archdiocesan statement said he also made it clear that the role of priests is to alleviate the pain and suffering of the bereaved families.
Bishop Kim requested that the government and officials concerned resolve the dispute as soon as possible and promised that the Church would join in these efforts.
On Jan. 20, a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) police unit stormed a four-story building at the Yongsan redevelopment site in central Seoul to remove over 40 tenants protesting the redevelopment project.
During the clash, a five-meter-high lookout post the protesters had set up on the roof of the building caught fire. The flames spread along the rooftop and the post collapsed killing five protesters and one SWAT team member. Twenty others were injured.
The families of the dead protesters have demanded the police take responsibility for the tragedy. The government denies that the police are to blame.
Following the incident, several priests, bereaved family members and their supporters have been holding Mass at the site everyday except on Sundays.
On May 29, Father Peter Lee Kang-suh, director of Catholic Urban Poor Pastoral Committee of Seoul archdiocese, was assaulted by police in the middle of a Mass he was celebrating. Father Bartholomew Moon Jung-hyon of Cheonju was also assaulted during the Mass celebration.
On June 19, Father Na Seong-gu, a Seoul archdiocesan priest joining a service at the site, was injured during clashes with police. His glasses were broken and he suffered facial injuries.
Fathers Lee and Moon were injured again during further clashes on June 21.
Share
Twitter