 The late Cardinal Stephen Kim Souhwan is remembered for his act of bravery and care for the underprivileged. In death, he represents individual sacrifices for others , a true show of altruistic love. / Korea Times |
Staff Reporter
Braving freezing temperatures in February almost endless rows of mourners lined up around Myeongdong Cathedral in downtown Seoul to pay their respects to the late Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan.
Kim, one of the few respected elders in Korea, had the aura whereby every one of his words carried a great deal of resonance across all walks of life irrespective of differences in religious beliefs.
He stood by pro-democratic activists during military regimes and sought for the harmonization of society. His boldness and thoughtfulness was often praised in and outside the country, where his comments often made headlines.
Even in death, the Catholic leader left behind a legacy of love. He decided to donate his corneas for transplant; many people since have signed organ donor cards.
According to the Korean Network for Organ Sharing, the number of cornea donations marked 186 this year, the highest ever.
The number of organ donors also hit 177,000, more than double that of last year.
The center says that the donation pledges peaked, going down significantly in recent years. But it expects that the pledges, kindled by Kim's example-setting action, will not taper off anytime soon.
Furthermore, Kim served as an example in the constant debate over excessive treatment for the terminally ill patients. He refused the treatments. Instead, he held on to his simple life, preparing himself for death.
His actions played a role in the Supreme Court's order in May to remove life support from a 77-year-old comatose patient who had always wanted to die with dignity and not receive excessive treatments.
The Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs decided to provide more support for the hospice system, where terminally ill patients prepare for their death in peace.
Seoul National University Hospital set out guidelines for the cessation of excessive treatment and received applications from terminal stage cancer patients.
"There had been discussions (about the guidelines), but definitely Cardinal Kim's actions affected them," Prof. Heo Dae-seog of the hospital said in an interview with The Korea Times.
bjs@koreatimes.co.kr
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