Social justice 24/06/18 Vatican approves sainthood process of first Korean cardinal

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Vatican approves sainthood process of first Korean cardinal

Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan once reprimanded President Chun Doo-hwan, who staged a coup in 1979

Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan (right) with Cardinal Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk in Seoul on Feb. 22, 2006. (Photo: AFP)

By UCA News reporter

Published: July 05, 2024 12:23 PM GMT

Updated: July 05, 2024 12:29 PM GMT

 The Vatican Vatican has allowed the launch of the sainthood process for Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan, the first Korean cardinal known for his initiatives in interfaith dialogue and lay participation.

The Archdiocese of Seoul said in a statement on July 5 that it has received the “no objection” letter from  the Vatican Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints to start the process.Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick of Seoul received the letter on June 18, allowing the archdiocese to venerate Cardinal Kim (1922-2009) as a “Servant of God.”

Auxiliary Bishop Job Koo Yobi of Seoul was named to chair the archdiocesan committee to investigate Cardinal Kim’s life, heroic deeds, and reputation for sainthood.Cardinal Kim “was respected and loved by many for his example of personal virtue, [and] his dedication to the growth of the Korean Church,” the statement noted.The archdiocese also recalled Kim’s “contributions to democracy and the promotion of human rights” as the 11th  archbishop of Seoul.Cardinal Kim was called the "friend of the poor and marginalized."“He practiced his love of giving until the end by donating his corneas,” the archdiocese said.Catholics in the nation have repeatedly voiced their desire to canonize Cardinal Kim, who played a key role in South Korea's civic and religious spheres.He was born in 1922 and ordained a priest in 1951. He studied philosophy at the Catholic University of Jochi Daigaku in Tokyo and sociology at Munster University in Germany.He was ordained as the bishop of Masan diocese in 1966 and the  archbishop of Seoul in 1968. In 1969, Pope Paul VI made him a cardinal.

In Seoul, he worked wholeheartedly toward implementing the spirit of  Vatican II and intensified evangelization efforts with lay participation. He also prioritized interfaith dialogue and humanitarian and charitable endeavors.

He was president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea from 1973 to 1977 and the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conference (FABC) from 1974 to 1977.

Church leaders say Cardinal Kim strengthened the Korean Church amid various trials and tribulations, including political turmoil under a series of military regimes.He reportedly reprimanded President Chun Doo-hwan, who captured power in a military coup in 1979, by comparing his illegal power grab to “an outlaw gunfight in a Western movie.”