2009-02-20 18:23
Lawyer Recalls Warmth of Cardinal
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter International lawyer Kim Chan-jin looked at the late Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan not just as Korea's spiritual leader but as a father figure. In an interview with The Korea Times, Kim talked about his close relationship with the cardinal, whom he first met in 1982. Throughout the decades, he served Cardinal Kim, earning his trust and confidence. ``I was parish chairman at Bangbae-dong. In 1987, the cardinal gave me a few assignments because he was having some problems in obtaining government approval for projects. I was working in government at that time, but I could hardly use my authority. There was a piece of land in Uijeongbu that the church wanted to use as a student campsite, but the Ministry of Defense refused. I had to convene a meeting and persuaded the ministry to accept it,'' he said. Kim's efforts were rewarded with praise from the cardinal. Also around that time, Cardinal Kim asked for the lawyer's help in finding a suitable property to build a new church in Bangbae-dong. By coincidence, a 200-pyeong property next to Kim's own house (around 168 pyeong) was being auctioned off. A property developer was eyeing both properties for an apartment project, but Kim decided it would be better for the Church to acquire them. So when the Church bought the 200-pyeong property at auction price, Kim decided to sell his land at the same unit price. ``Now, the altar in the church is standing where my living room used to be. It is a very special blessing that we have. This was made possible at the suggestion of Cardinal Kim,'' he said. Kim also helped the cardinal with his efforts to merge the St. Joseph's Seminary, Songsim Women's College and Medical School into a single entity, the Catholic University of Korea. When the university was founded in 1990, the cardinal named the lawyer as one of the founding board members. Over the years, Kim became closer to Cardinal Kim. While cardinals and bishops do not normally visit their parishioners' homes, Cardinal Kim had dinner at the Kim's residence every year since 1987. Kim still remembers the date, Oct. 15, 1987, when the cardinal visited his home for the first time. ``When he had dinner at my place, he brought his calligraphy. In Korean, he wrote `Christian Family' and signed it himself. We still have it in the middle of the dining room. Ever since, he never failed to come and have dinner at our house from 1987 to 2007,'' he said. Kim served Cardinal Kim ``buldojang,'' a popular dish served at a Chinese restaurant at a Seoul hotel. It is a hearty soup filled with shark's fin, sea cucumber, pine mushrooms, abalone and vegetables among other ingredients. The soup, which is rich in protein and calcium, is considered a healthy dish for those who are sick. The hotel chefs were asked to cook buldojang for Cardinal Kim when he had dinner at the lawyer's home. He was apparently very fond of the dish, and requested it during his last days. ``Because of his failing health, probably he needed more buldojang. He liked it so much. I learned from the waitress at the Chinese restaurant, that they were supplying that particular soup to the cardinal up to the last minute,'' Kim said. Since Cardinal Kim was confined to the hospital, Kim and his wife Lee Young-ae would often visit him. ``Normally, he had difficulty talking, but at one point, my wife wasn't with me and the cardinal looked around and asked 'why Mrs. Kim did not come?','' he laughingly recalled. Kim feels very fortunate to have known a great man like Cardinal Kim. ``I lost my father and mother a long time ago. I strongly felt that he was my parent. … I know the Cardinal did not spend a lot of time in individuals' houses, maybe occasionally. But he was coming to our place for years regularly without any hesitation. He may have felt very comfortable with us. We were happy for that,'' he said. cathy@koreatimes.co.kr |
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