SPOTLIGHT 23/12/01 Korean Church to better coordinate its welfare activities

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Korean Church to better coordinate its welfare activities

The Korean Church runs 103 Catholic social welfare organizations and 1,297 affiliated facilities

Leaders and members of the Korea Caritas Association are seen during their first meeting in the South Korean capital Seoul on Dec. 1. (Photo: CPBC)

By UCA News reporter

Published: December 07, 2023 11:25 AM GMT

Catholic Church in South Korea has launched an association that aims to become the official communication channel between the government and the church’s various social welfare groups.

Korea Caritas Association was launched by Bishop Basil Cho Kyu-man of Wonju at the Myeongdong Cathedral in the capital Seoul on Dec. 1, Catholic Peace Broadcasting Corporation (CPBC) reported on Dec. 6.

Cho presided over the inaugural Holy Mass and the first general meeting of the association. He urged the association members to not become “middle managers” but good leaders inspired by Saint Paul, the apostle.

"In a world where love seems to have left and only work remains, we need to recall the definition of love given by Saint Paul," Cho said, referring to St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians which speaks about “The Gift of Love.”

"If we do our social work without losing that sense that we are nothing without love, we will not fall into 'self-welfare' and priests and religious will not be reduced to 'middle managers,'" Cho warned.

Cho lamented that many welfare organizations worldwide are operating with the Latin word “Caritas” (love) included in their names, yet many “have become numb to love.”

The association’s inaugural meeting was attended by 69 of the 75 members of the association along with priests and religious from across the country.

The gathering elected Cho as the first chairman of the association’s board and Father Jung Sung-hwan, secretary general of Caritas Korea, as its first executive director.

The association seeks to ease the difficulties in communication between the church’s welfare wings and the government departments.

The Catholic church in South Korea runs various social welfare projects at the regional, diocesan, religious congregation, and organizational levels that cover millions of people in the country and overseas.

Facilities and organizations at various locations have faced difficulties in communication and response due to varying laws and guidelines at local government departments, CPBC reported.

The laws and policies that have been revised in recent years have also been used as tools to regulate Catholic social service facilities without considering “their special characteristics,” the report stated.  

The association did not reveal the details of any specific cases of issues that were faced by the Catholic organizations.

The association said that it aims to represent 103 Catholic social welfare organizations, 1,297 affiliated facilities, and more than 20,000 workers nationwide in a dialogue with the government.

The association aims to help them carry out their work following the spirit and values of Catholic social teachings.

In its founding declaration, the association said that it will “serve as the right and good voice of Catholic social welfare to the public and as a focal point for all Catholic social welfare facilities,” CPBC reported.