Papal visit to soothe divided church

Gabriel Chang Bong-hun, center, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, addresses reporters on his preparations for Pope Francis'visit to Korea in August. During his time in Korea, Francis is planning to visit Kkottongnae, a Catholic-run community for disabled people in the province's Eumseong. / Yonhap

By Kim Tong-hyung

When Pope Francis arrives in Korea in August, he will be welcomed by a church deeply divided over political issues and possibly a president desperate for a post-election media boost.

The papal visit from Aug. 14 to 18, announced by the Vatican on Monday (KST), will be a significant social event in Korea and inevitably a political one.

Progressive Catholic groups here have emerged as vocal critics of the Park Geun-hye government in the past year, drawing the ire of senior church leaders such as Cardinal Andrew Yeom Soo-jung who blasted them for getting involved in secular matters.

Francis, who was elected to succeed Pope Benedict XVI last March, has been widely credited for injecting new life into the church with a combination of humility and aggressiveness when addressing human rights issues and social inequality. Francis' visit will mark the third papal visit to Korea ― the late John Paul II came twice in 1984 and 1989.

Some Catholic leaders who have been beating the anti-government drum in past months admit hoping that the pontiff's presence will double as a commentary on Park, whose policies, they claim, only benefit the rich.

However, they are concerned that Yeom will have a large influence on the preparation committee for the visit and influence the message it conveys. The committee was launched on Tuesday, with Peter Kang Woo-il, bishop of Jeju Island, named as the chairman and Huh Young-yup, a priest in Yeom's Seoul Archdiocese, as the spokesman.

Among senior members of Korea's Catholic clergy, Yeom has been the most outspoken critic of the Catholic Priests' Association for Justice (CPAJ), a left-leaning group of priests who actively engage in social and political debate.

CPAJ's diocese in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, sparked controversy by calling for the resignation of Park during a special mass in November last year. The priests, led by Park Chang-shin, questioned the legitimacy of the 2012 presidential elections as investigations revealed that the National Intelligence Service (NIS) allegedly sought to exert influence on it, with the purpose of helping Park, the governing party candidate.

''I am happy that the Pope is visiting us because it marks the first Papal visit in 25 years. However, the Seoul diocese headed by Yeom is expected to have a predominant influence in the preparation committee, so you really don't know where the weight of the visit will be,'' said a priest in Seoul who describes himself as a ''reformist.''

It's also notable that Francis will be in Korea at a time when Park might be eager to be seen with him.

Park's Saenuri Party is anticipating a tough battle during the June local elections and July by-elections. Its opposition rival, the Democratic Party, is now set to create a unified front with former presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo in attempting to win swing voters from among a sharply-divided electorate.

Considering Park's constantly high approval ratings, the Saenuri Party is still likely to come out as the winner, but the margin of victory might be smaller than the governing party would prefer.

The elections will inevitably be preceded by intense political debate, and afterwards, Park might look to promote herself as an engaging leader who can change the culture of politics and overcome the partisan gridlock. For her, sitting down with the Pope in front of the national media would be a spectacular way to convey such an image.

The media already seems to be treating Francis' visit as a significant political event.

''The Papal visit is inspiring high hopes from Korea's Catholic church as the visits by John Paul II in 1984 and 1989 elevated the public's interest in the religion and dramatically increased the number of followers,'' wrote the state-run Yonhap News Agency.

''However, critics also stress that the papal visit should not be used as a political tool, like the military government used John Paul II's visit in 1984 to claim that the Pope approved the legitimacy of its power.''

Upon his arrival, Francis will meet Park in Cheong Wa Dae before moving to Daejeon to attend a youth event and Eumseong, North Chungcheong Province, to visit Kkottongane, a church-run community for disabled people.

He will also participate in a beatification ceremony elevating 124 Korean priests, nuns and other Catholics killed for their religious beliefs during the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) in the 17th and 18th centuries.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of Korea (CBCK) said the location of the ceremony has not been finalized yet, although Seoul's Gwanghwamun Square and Seongnam's Seoul Airport have been cited as potential sites.

Before returning to the Vatican, Pope Francis will hold a mass at Seoul's Myeongdong Cathedral on Aug. 18 where he is expected to offer a prayer for inter-Korean peace.

''It would be great if the Pope's visit could help provide positive energy in a country divided with social conflict. I also hope he will be sending a message of peace to North Korea, which might inspire some productive talks,'' said Park Jeong-won, a 34-year-old Seoul resident.