Late pope noted for ties with taekwondo

Pope Francis touches an icon of the Virgin Mary after he recited the holy rosary at the St. Mary Major Basilica in Rome, May 4, 2013. AP-Yonhap

Pope Francis, a voice for the poor who held an honorary black dan belt in taekwondo in recognition of his shared humanitarian commitment with the Korean traditional sport, died on Monday at the age of 88.

He died the day after Easter Sunday, the most important holiday in Christianity, when over 1.3 billion Catholics around the world celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Despite his poor health, the pope made a public appearance on Sunday, greeting delighted crowds at the Vatican.

During his papacy, Francis expressed his interest in the humanitarian activities of taekwondo, notably the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation (THF). Established and based in Lausanne, Switzerland, the foundation has a mission of empowering the powerless by teaching taekwondo to refugees and displaced persons throughout the world.

World Taekwondo has developed a close relationship with the Vatican and the pope in recent years through their shared commitment to promoting peace.

Pope Francis, left, receives a 10th dan black belt from World Taekwondo President Choue Chung-won at the Vatican, May 10, 2017. Courtesy of World Taekwondo

The World Taekwondo Demonstration Team first performed in Vatican City in 2016 during the first Global Conference on Faith & Sport.

On May 10, 2017, Pope Francis received World Taekwondo President Choue Chung-won and Federazione Italiana Taekwondo (FITA) President Angelo Cito in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City, and Choue presented the pope with an honorary 10th dan black belt. The belt is a special recognition awarded to individuals for their significant contributions to the sport or the community, even if they haven't formally trained in the sport.

The following year, World Taekwondo performed a demonstration in St. Peter’s Square in front of Pope Francis and thousands of spectators.