Bishop-elect Simon Kim Jong-gang of Cheongju Diocese, South Korea. (Photo supplied)
Newly appointed Bishop Simon Kim Jong-gang of Cheongju Diocese in South Korea has promised to become a good shepherd to serve and communicate effectively with local Catholics.
Pope Francis appointed Father Kim as the new bishop of the diocese in the south-central part of the Korean Peninsula on March 19, according to an announcement from Cheongju Diocese.
Bishop-elect Kim, 57, is the fourth bishop of Cheongju Diocese since it was established as a separate church jurisdiction in 1958.
He succeeds Bishop Gabriel Chang Bong-hun, who resigned from the post on reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75. He had led the diocese since 1999.
On the day of the appointment, some 30 clergy, religious and lay Catholics assembled at Holy Family Cathedral in Cheongju to pray for the new bishop and to greet him. They also expressed their gratitude to Bishop-emeritus Chang for his more than two decades of service, Catholic Times of Korea reported on March 22.
The number of participants was limited due to restrictions over Covid-19 pandemic.
"I will do my best to become a good shepherd through sharing my life and good communication with all"
Bishop-elect Kim said he was humbled by the appointment
“I am truly an unworthy and weak person, but I have decided to accept the post with courage thanks to God’s infinite forgiveness and mercy,” he said.
“Nevertheless, I will faithfully carry out my duties. I will leave everything to the will of God and accept and realize what God asks me to do in this age. I will do my best to become a good shepherd through sharing my life and good communication with all.”
Outgoing Bishop Chang said he thanks for God for a competent successor in Bishop Kim.
“I am grateful to God for Bishop Kim, who is well educated. I hope his appointment will bring great opportunities for further development of the diocese,” he said while thanking local Catholics for their prayers, love and help.
Local Catholic Kim Kyung-hwan said he has high expectations from the new bishop, who is known as a “warm-hearted and amicable” person.
Bishop-elect Kim was born in 1965 in Cheongju. He attended the major seminary in Daegu and obtained a licentiate in philosophy and theology at the Catholic University of Korea in 1996. He was ordained a priest on June 28, 1996.
In 2005, he obtained a licentiate in church history from the Gregorian University in Rome.He was the vice-rector of the Pontifical College of Saint Paul in Rome (2005-10); director of the Youth Ministry of the Diocese of Cheongju (2010-13); parish priest of Ghyemyong (2013-15); and professor at the Catholic University of Daejeon (2015-20).
Since 2020, he has been administrative director of the Korean Bishops' Conference.
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