Cardinal Andrew Yeom celebrates the Mass for Catholic congressmen on July 10. (Photo: Seoul Archdiocese)
Cardinal Andrew Yeom Soo-jung celebrated a Mass for Catholic congressmen of the newly elected 21st National Assembly of the Republic of Korea.
The July 10 Mass, also celebrated by nine priests from Seoul Archdiocese, was attended by 43 Catholic congressmen and staff members from the National Assembly at the legislature's headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul.
"In this time of turmoil due to Covid-19, we once again realize that we are all vulnerable and helpless,” Cardinal Yeom, the archbishop of Seoul, said in his homily.
He quoted at length Pope Francis's words from his Urbi et Orbi homily of March 27: “In this world, we have gone ahead at breakneck speed, feeling powerful and able to do anything. Greedy for profit, we let ourselves get caught up in things, and lured away by haste. We did not stop at your reproach to us, we were not shaken awake by wars or injustice across the world, nor did we listen to the cry of the poor or of our ailing planet.”
Cardinal Yeom advised the congressmen to carry out politics that prioritizes care for the poor and the powerless so that politics can be an “outstanding form of charity,” as Pope Francis defined it in his message for the 52nd World Day of Peace.
The cardinal stressed the Church’s commitment to life as an effort to uphold values of life and enable peaceful coexistence of all, and urged the congressmen to take interest in and join this commitment.
After the Mass, the Cardinal had a meeting with National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug and conveyed his hope that the congressmen of the 21st National Assembly could ease the hearts of people by forgiving and harmonizing with each other and become more united whenever ordeals take place.
