Seoul archdiocese’s “fool’s fund” for the poor launched last April, has started collecting donations for many charitable activities.

Last month, Auxiliary Bishop Andrew Yeom Soo-jung of Seoul sent a letter to all 1,300 parishes in the country asking them to begin the collection of funds.

In the letter, the chairperson of the Babo Nanum’s (fool’s sharing) board of directors, asked Catholics to be “fools” in reverence to Cardinal Kim, Korea’s first cardinal, who referred to himself deprecatingly as a “fool.”

He died last year at the age of 86.

The fools fund is trying to gather 1 million supporters who would pay 10,000 won (US$8.3) a month, according to Francis Song Young-keun, manager of the fundraising team.

This would give the Catholic fund a steady cash flow of 10 billion won every month, he said.

Many Catholic and those from other faiths all over the country are lending their support, Song said.

The late Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-whan, Korea’s first cardinal

Parishes and groups, meanwhile, are sending money raised from their own charity bazaars.

Commercial banks are also helping out of respect for the late Cardinal Kim.

Woori Bank distributed all 1 million copies of the fund’s application forms in its branches nationwide, while Shinhan Bank is distributing Babo Nanum money boxes at its branches in the Seoul area.

Song was optimistic that the 3 billion won target for 2010 would be collected easily.

The fund will go beyond race, color and religion, but its roots are in the Church, he said.

“So, Catholics must be the first to join the movement,” he added.

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