Funeral Mass for Late Cardinal Jeong Jin-seok Held: "A Man of Solemnity with a Gentle Side"

On the 30th, mourners pay their respects at the funeral hall of the late Cardinal Jeong Jin-seok, set up at Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul. Photo by Joint Press Corps

[Asia Economy Reporter Onyu Lim] The funeral Mass for the late Cardinal Jeong Jin-seok, who passed away from old age on the 27th of last month, was held on the 1st at Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul.

The Catholic Archdiocese of Seoul held the funeral Mass at Myeongdong Cathedral, jointly presided over by Cardinal Yeom Soo-jung, Archbishop of the Seoul Archdiocese, and the Korean bishops.

Cardinal Yeom, who delivered the homily, prayed for the repose of Cardinal Jeong, his senior and fellow priest. Cardinal Yeom said, "It is truly sad and difficult to see off a great priest of the Church and an elder of our society," adding, "I deeply sympathize with Cardinal Jeong’s words when he said he felt empty and had no one to rely on after Cardinal Kim Soo-hwan passed away."

He continued, "As I mentioned at his passing, if Cardinal Kim Soo-hwan was like a father figure, Cardinal Jeong was like a mother to our Church and priests," and recalled, "Behind his stern and commanding appearance, he was gentle, meek, and possessed great generosity and love when you got close to him."

Cardinal Yeom, who had written several pages of condolence notes mourning Cardinal Jeong, was at a loss for words for a while as emotions welled up when mentioning the late Cardinal’s life.

He reflected, "Cardinal Jeong showed us through his life the paradox that when you give up everything, you can gain everything," and "He taught us what it means to live happily and according to God’s will."

Pope Francis also sent a letter of condolence to Cardinal Yeom to comfort him on Cardinal Jeong’s passing.

In the condolence letter read by Archbishop Alfred Xuereb, the Apostolic Nuncio to Korea, at the Mass, the Pope said, "I was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Cardinal Jeong Jin-seok Nicolaus, former Archbishop of Seoul," and "I extend my sincere condolences to the clergy, religious, and laity of the Seoul Archdiocese and promise to join them in prayer."

In the latter part of the Mass, a video showing Cardinal Jeong’s life and his thoughts as a priest was screened.

Due to COVID-19 prevention measures, only 250 people, about 20% of the total seating capacity of the cathedral, were allowed to attend. The late Cardinal Jeong’s family, senior priests, fellow priests, and guests sat in the cathedral pews maintaining social distancing, joining hands in prayer.

Meanwhile, ordinary parishioners who visited the cathedral gathered in front of a large screen set up at the adjacent Spirituality Center to share the farewell moment with Cardinal Jeong. Hundreds of parishioners sat spaced apart in front of the screen, watching the Mass broadcast.

After the funeral Mass, the body was transported to the clergy cemetery within Yongin Park Cemetery in Gyeonggi Province for eternal rest.

He will be interred in a one-pyeong (approximately 3.3 square meters) space next to the graves of the late Cardinal Kim Soo-hwan and Bishop Kim Ok-gyun in the clergy cemetery.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.