Pope: the example of the martyrs says much to society today
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis celebrated Mass for the Beatification of the Korean Martyrs pointing to their example that - he said - has much to say to societies today where alongside immense wealth, dire poverty is silently growing and where the cry of the poor is seldom heeded.
On the fourth day of his apostolic visit to the Republic of Korea the Pope celebrated the faith of Paul Yun Ji-chung and his 123 companions "who lived and died for Christ, and now reign with Him in joy and in glory". He said the victory of the martyrs and their witness continues to bear fruit today in Korea.
In a world in which our faith is often challenged, the Pope said the example of the martyrs calls us to put Christ first, it teaches us the importance of charity and love of neighbor.
This event marks the third time that the Church in Korea has celebrated the beatification of its martyrs: 79 martyrs who were persecuted between 1839 and 1846 were beatified in 1925; 24 martyrs who were persecuted in 1866 were beatified in 1968.
The process for the beatification and canonization of other Korean martyrs, including Father Thomas Choe Yang-eop and Bishop Francisco Borgia Hong Yong-ho is currently underway.
Please find below major excerpts of the Pope's homily at the Mass for the Beatification of the Korean Martyrs:
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? (Rom 8:35). With these words, Saint Paul speaks of the glory of our faith in Jesus: not only has Christ risen from the dead and ascended to heaven, but he has united us to himself and he grants us a share in his eternal life. Christ is victorious and his victory is ours!
Today we celebrate this victory in Paul Yun Ji-chung and his 123 companions. Their names now stand alongside those of the holy martyrs Andrew Kim Taegon, Paul Chong Hasang and companions, to whom I just paid homage. All of them lived and died for Christ, and now they reign with him in joy and in glory. With Saint Paul, they tell us that, in the death and resurrection of his Son, God has granted us the greatest victory of all. For “neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:38-39).
(...) Our celebration of Blessed Paul and Companions provides us with the opportunity to return to the first moments, the infancy as it were, of the Church in Korea. It invites you, the Catholics of Korea, to remember the great things which God has wrought in this land and to treasure the legacy of faith and charity entrusted to you by your forebears.
In God’s mysterious providence, the Christian faith was not brought to the shores of Korea through missionaries; rather, it entered through the hearts and minds of the Korean people themselves. It was prompted by intellectual curiosity, the search for religious truth. Through an initial encounter with the Gospel, the first Korean Christians opened their minds to Jesus. They wanted to know more about this Christ who suffered, died, and rose from the dead.
(...) This history tells us much about the importance, the dignity and the beauty of the vocation of the laity.
(...) Soon after the first seeds of faith were planted in this land, the martyrs and the Christian community had to choose between following Jesus or the world. They had heard the Lord’s warning that the world would hate them because of him (Jn 17:14); they knew the cost of discipleship.
(...) So often we today can find our faith challenged by the world, and in countless ways we are asked to compromise our faith, to water down the radical demands of the Gospel and to conform to the spirit of this age. Yet the martyrs call out to us to put Christ first and to see all else in this world in relation to him and his eternal Kingdom. They challenge us to think about what, if anything, we ourselves would be willing to die for.
The example of the martyrs also teaches us the importance of charity in the life of faith. It was the purity of their witness to Christ, expressed in an acceptance of the equal dignity of all the baptized, which led them to a form of fraternal life that challenged the rigid social structures of their day. It was their refusal to separate the twin commandment of love of God and love of neighbor which impelled them to such great solicitude for the needs of the brethren. Their example has much to say to us who live in societies where, alongside immense wealth, dire poverty is silently growing; where the cry of the poor is seldom heeded; and where Christ continues to call out to us, asking us to love and serve him by tending to our brothers and sisters in need.
(...) The legacy of the martyrs can inspire all men and women of good will to work in harmony for a more just, free and reconciled society, thus contributing to peace and the protection of authentically human values in this country and in our world.
May the prayers of all the Korean martyrs, in union with those of Our Lady, Mother of the Church, obtain for us the grace of perseverance in faith and in every good work, holiness and purity of heart, and apostolic zeal in bearing witness to Jesus in this beloved country, throughout Asia, and to the ends of the earth. Amen.
