Top Stories 23/04/14 Korean Catholics conduct street Mass as part of climate march

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Korean Catholics conduct street Mass as part of climate march

Korean peninsula has been experiencing drastic changes in weather due to climate change, triggering natural disasters

South Korean Catholics attend a street mass during a national climate justice rally at Sejong city on Apirl 14. (Photo: Catholic Times of Korea)

By UCA News reporter

Published: April 19, 2023 09:50 AM GMT

Catholic clergy, religious, and laypeople in South Korea joined a nationwide rally and held a street Mass seeking justice for those suffering because of climate change in the country and the world.

The climate march, organized by 350 civil society organizations including Catholic climate groups, attracted about 4,000 people from across the East Asian nation on April 14.

The rally called “Climate Justice Strike” was held in Sejong City, a self-governing city and de facto administrative capital.

About 300 Catholics were among the participants led by the Catholic Climate Action group.

A significant number of participants were local residents, farmers and fisher folks who had lived in farming and fishing villages whose environment has been destroyed by climate change, also primary and subcontract workers who would lose their jobs due to the closure of power plants, and the disabled, migrants, and the poor who were excluded from the climate crisis response process.

The demonstrators presented a charter of demands to the government to address issues related to climate change and environmental degradation and to support vulnerable communities.

They called for a guarantee of basic energy rights by strengthening energy distribution; recovery of additional profits from energy companies and promotion of de-coal and nuclear phase-out policies; expansion of public transportation to respond to the climate crisis; ensuring support for workers, farmers, and local residents affected by the climate crisis.

They have also demanded a just transition involving social minorities; suspension of the construction of a new airport, cable car, and mountain train, and withdrawal of an attempt to transfer the right to lift the green belt to local governments.

Bishop Blasio Park Hyun-dong, abbot and apostolic administrator of the Territorial Abbacy of Tokwon offered a Mass on the street for Catholics during the rally and reminded them that believers cannot ignore the voices of suffering brothers and sisters and creatures.
 
“In order to live together on this earth, our 'common home,' we must listen to the voices of our suffering brothers and sisters and creatures, and actively transform our lives,” said Bishop Park, head of the Ecological Committee of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea.

“When we show the world our commitment to being together with our poor brothers and sisters and with all creatures on earth, we can lay the foundation for a sustainable future,” he said.

Climate crisis and climate inequality are interlinked, Father Stefanus Yang Ki-seok, chairman of the Ecological and Environment Committee of the Suwon Diocese said during the rally.

The priest pointed out that developed countries emit greenhouse gases that cause climate change, and it causes suffering for people in underdeveloped countries.

Korean society is also responsible for the crisis because “the government and companies that lead the development projects do not take responsibility for environmental destruction,” he said.

“...as a result, people lose their livelihoods and jobs and have their livelihoods threatened,” he added.

Father Kang Seung-soo, a representative of the Catholic Climate Action group, stressed the need of supporting the poor who suffer due to climate change.

“If a climate disaster occurs, those with money can maintain their daily lives, but the poor have no choice but to bear the damage,” he said.

“Someone’s life could be in danger. We need to think about where the steps of Christians should be headed in the current situation.”

The Korean peninsula has been experiencing drastic changes in weather due to climate change, triggering a rise in temperature, frequent wildfires, and other natural disasters like flooding, the state-run Korea Meteorological Administration reported last year.

The agency said the impact of daily life and industrial activities are gradually sparking extreme levels of environmental changes on the Korean peninsula.

The report noted that East Asia, including Korea, has been experiencing record-breaking heat waves and heavy rains causing extensive devastation in the region.

For years, Catholic Church in South Korea has been at the forefront of a campaign urging immediate actions to tackle the climate crisis and environmental degradation.

Taking cues from Pope Francis’ environmental encyclical Laudato Si, Catholic dioceses have adopted long-term pastoral plans focusing on environmental protection and climate change.

This report is brought to you in partnership with the Catholic Times of Korea.