The Korean Martyrs were the victims of religious persecution against Catholic Christians during the 19th century in Korea. Between 8,000 and 10,000 Korean Christians were killed during this period. (Image: Wikipedia)
As tension continues on the Korean Peninsula, Catholic bishops in Korea have decided to pray every day for 12 months for peace, marking the 70th anniversary of the Korean War.
The Korean Catholic Bishops' Conference during its annual meeting decided to pray for peace daily in every diocese.They have also decided to dedicate the third week of next year as "the Lord's Word Sunday," said bishops' conference chairman Archbishop Hyginus Kim Hee-jong of Gwangju, as reported by The Catholic Times of Korea.The Oct. 14-17 meeting of bishops wanted all parishes to be part of the campaign named "Joining for the Peace of the Korean Peninsula." Parishes can carry out campaign programs according to their discretion, bishops agreed.The prayer campaign will run from Dec. 1, 2019, to Nov. 28, 2020. The bishops' conference plans to issue special prayers for Masses through diocesan bulletins.
The bishops' conference also decided to elevate the liturgical rank of St. Andrew Kim Taegon, the first Korean-born Catholic priest and the patron saint of Korea, to help Catholics celebrate his feast prominently.Parishes and dioceses are free to design their programs for marking the birth anniversary year, bishops said.