(clockwide) Hundreds of thousands of Catholics and spectators assembly at the boulevards  surrounding Gwanghwamun Square in downtown Seoul, a site where 124 martyrs were beheaded for their faith during the Joseon Dynasty,; Pope Francis acknowledges as the pontiff rode on an open car,; and the pontiff officiates at a ceremony to beatify the Korean martyrs at the outdoor Mass. (photos: MCST)

Pope Francis wrapped up a five-day papal trip of Korea on Aug. 8, leaving behind messages of forgiveness, reconciliation, and peace that would resonate within the nation, which is deeply engulfed in ideological, political, and generational strife and confrontation. 

From his arrival at Incheon Airport on Aug. 14 until his return to Rome, the Pontiff took time out to heal the wounds and the sufferings of Korean society by comforting families of the victims of the Sewol ferry disaster, “comfort” women who were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese imperialists during World War II, marginalized people of society, including the poor, and delivering his papal messages of love, peace, and reconciliation.

Pope Francis met with four family members of the ferry disaster victims upon his arrival and held their hands one by one and consoled them.

Pope Francis kisses on the head of a kid while riding on an open car as he headed for a ceremony of beatifying Korean martyrs. (photo: Cheong Wa Dae and Archdiocese of Seoul)

There were no special events except President Park Geun-hye’s welcoming and the firing of a salute. The pope got on the Soul, a small car produced by Kia Motors, unlike limousines for visiting dignitaries, following the welcoming ceremony, showing humility, a subject of respect and surprise for Koreans. 

On the second day, Aug. 15, the pontiff took a KTX train instead of a helicopter to tour Daejeon and participate in a convention of some 6,000 Asian youths. The train he rode was an ordinary one, not one arranged for his papal trip. Some 100 passengers waiting for the train at the platform cheered the pontiff upon his arrival. 

Korean President Park Geun-hye meets Pope Francis at Cheong Wa Dae on Aug. 14.(photo: Cheong Wa Dae)

At a gathering of 70 bishops from all across Asia in Seosan, Chungcheongnam-do, on Aug. 17, the Pontiff made his strongest gesture of outreach to the communist-ruled nations. “In this spirit of openness to others, I earnestly hope that those countries of your continent with whom the Holy See does not yet enjoy a full relationship, may not hesitate to further a dialogue for the benefit of all,” the Pontiff said.

One of the highlights of the papal visit was the Pope’s beatifying of 124 Korean martyrs in an outdoor mass at Gwanghwamun Square in downtown Seoul in front of some 800,000 Catholics and general spectators, a site where many of the martyrs were beheaded for their faith during the Joseon Dynasty. 

Everywhere he went, he was greeted by a throng of spectators, some meeting with the Pontiff with personal humility and approachable demeanor.

Pope Francis called for the people of the Koreas to “forgive and be united as one family and one people” at a mass at the Myeongdong Cathedral on May 18, the last leg of his papal trip. 

The mass, dedicated to peace and reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula, was attended by some 1,000 figures representing all walks of life in Korea, including President Park. “The cross of Christ reveals the power of God to bridge every division, to heal every wound, and to reestablish the original bonds of brotherly love,” the Pontiff said. 

Following the mass at the Myeongdong Cathedral, the Pontiff returned home via Seoul Airport without an official mega-event farewell ceremony, as is Pope Francis’s humble way.  

The President Meets with Pope Francis

President Park and Pope Francis met at Cheong Wa Dae on August 14.

President Park said that all Koreans joined in welcoming him to Korea and that the long-awaited papal visit, the first since that of Pope Saint John Paul II in 1989, gave great joy to everyone. She went on to say that she had heard a lot about the activities of the Pope, who devotes himself to promoting world peace and helping the socially vulnerable, and that she was glad to meet him in person. She added that his choice of Korea as his first destination in Asia was especially meaningful. 

President Park also expressed her appreciation to him for showing great affection for Korea by blessing Koreans in his warm-hearted letters and taking a continued and enormous interest in and praying for peace. More than anything else, she said she was grateful to him for conveying sympathy to the victims of the Sewol ferry sinking and their families and keeping them in his prayers. 

Thanking the president for the extraordinary hospitality extended to him, Pope Francis said that he understood well the fact that Koreans have a culture of respecting elders and have built a nation through hard work. He also said that the exchange of a number of letters with President Park had impressed on him that her primary interest lies in peace.

Citing that peace is a gift of God, the Pope said that he understood well how hard the President is working to achieve it. President Park responded by saying that peace is a gift worth working hard for.

President Park said that this year would be remembered as a special year when a new cardinal was appointed in Korea and the Pope made a visit. Noting that Korea is the only nation in the world where Catholicism was first accepted and spread by lay people, the president said that it carried added significance for Pope Francis to personally preside over the beatification mass in Seoul for Korea’s 124 martyrs killed for their Catholic beliefs. 

Pope Francis said Korea had an extraordinary missionary history; the nation was chosen by God and in turn received and embraced the faith. He went on to say that he remembered well that the community of Korean believers in Buenos Aires had been working hard to establish churches and carry out missionary work while he was serving as the archbishop there. He also added that he was well aware of the fact that Korea sent many missionaries all around the world. 

The President noted that the Pope’s devotion to peace and reconciliation was deemed especially invaluable to Korea, which still remains divided long after the war. Saying that divided families, who are the painful testimony to the tragic war, are suffering a lot because most of them are elderly, the president emphasized that it was urgent to resolve this problem from a humanitarian perspective.

The president went on to explain that the absence of a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula and the continued threat of war and nuclear conflict in the lives of all of the Korean people were wounds that had yet to heal. She said that while the Korean Government would respond firmly to any provocations by the North, it was keeping the door open for dialogue and making efforts to continue exchanges and cooperation. The president called peaceful reunification as the only way to rid the Korean Peninsula of the menace of war and nuclear conflict and resolve such issues as divided families and North Korean defectors, and she said she hoped for the Holy Father’s continued interest and prayers for the establishment of peace on the Peninsula and an era of unification. 

With regard to the divided families, the Holy Father said that he empathized with them in their pain because he understood the importance of family. He said the Catholic Church would continue to provide support to resolve this issue. He also pointed out that Koreans in the North and the South used one language and described this as a seed that, if properly watered and cared for, would help to bring about the gradual unification of the Peninsula. He said that he would pray for this as well, and President Park thanked him for his precious words.