Lee joins Vatican council for culture

Linus Lee Seong-hyo

By Baek Byung-yeul

Pope Francis has appointed Linus Lee Seong-hyo, auxiliary bishop of Suwon, as a member of the Pontifical Council for Culture, according to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea (CBCK) on Monday.

The Vatican department, established by the late John Paul II in 1982, is involved in a variety of activities aimed at strengthening the Catholic Church’s relationship with different cultures. It has been putting in efforts to interact with contemporary artists, participating in the 2011 Venice Biennale with its Holy See pavilion.

Lee, 56, was among 14 new members Pope Francis named to the council on March 29. He joins two other Koreans currently working in Francis’ central administrative body ― Archbishop Hyginus Kim Hee-joong is a member of Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue and Father Pahk Yeong-sik is with the Pontifical Biblical Institute.

Lee will serve a five-year term during which he will take part in various activities and most importantly the biennial council meeting.

As a member of the clergy, Lee is known for his unique personal history. Lee had been an electronics engineer but said he entered the priesthood after attending John Paul II’s Mass in Seoul in 1984 because he was so moved by the pontiff’s words.

He has been teaching theology at the Suwon Catholic University since 2003. He became auxiliary bishop of the Suwon Diocese in 2011.