South Korean Church ordains nearly two dozen new priests

By Anna Poce

Twenty-three new priests were ordained on Friday in Seoul’s Myeongdong Cathedral, during a solemn Eucharistic celebration presided over by Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick, O.C.D.

He was accompanied in the celebration by Monsignor Fernando Reis, Chargé d'Affaires of the Apostolic Nunciature in Korea, as well as Cardinal Andrew Yeom and the Archdiocese’s Auxiliary Bishops.

Live-streamed Mass

The Mass, which was attended in-person only by the parents of the new priests—in full compliance with the South Korean government's Covid-19 protocols—was streamed live on the diocesan channel, Catholic Peace Broadcasting Corporation TV, and on its YouTube channel.

At the end of the celebration, Archbishop Chung thanked God for making these ordinations possible.

He also thanked the parents of the new priests, and all the pastors, nuns, teachers, and spiritual guides who helped them nurture their religious vocation.

Archbishop Chung then expressed his gratitude to the seminary staff and benefactors who supported the newly ordained in their service to the Church.

‘A Church that gives’

Three of the new priests, underlined the Archbishop, are members of the “Seoul International Catholic Missionary Society”, a group founded in 2005 by the Archdiocese of Seoul, committed to sending missionaries to Latin America.

He called the initiative a concrete sign that the Church in Korea "has transformed itself from a 'Church that welcomes' to a 'Church that gives', ready to take on a missionary vision and solidarity abroad, and is thus ready for the 'Missio ad Gentes'.”

The Archdiocese of Seoul, as of January 2022, has 966 priests, including one Cardinal, one Archbishop, three Bishops, and five priests with the titular distinction of Monsignor.