President Moon and the Pope Exchange Warm Words in a Bright Atmosphere... "Prepared for Humanitarian Aid to Bukhan"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] President Moon Jae-in, who is touring Europe on the occasion of the Group of Twenty (G20) summit, held a private meeting with the Pope at the Vatican on the 29th (local time) as his first official schedule. The Holy See expressed its readiness to provide humanitarian aid to North Korea.

The Blue House reported that the meeting was conducted in a bright atmosphere throughout, with the exchange of kind words.

When President Moon said, "I am glad to meet again after three years," Pope Francis responded in a very friendly manner, "Come again anytime." President Moon had also met the Pope in October 2018.

President Moon expressed his gratitude, saying, "During my last visit, Your Holiness celebrated a mass for peace on the Korean Peninsula and blessed the efforts for dialogue toward peace on the peninsula." Pope Francis replied, "I hope the efforts for dialogue with North Korea continue. I always pray for peace and unification on the Korean Peninsula. If an invitation comes from North Korea, I am willing to go to help and promote peace."

President Moon also said, "The Korean Catholic Church has made great contributions to democratization, actively cooperated in COVID-19 prevention, and is also working on climate response and carbon neutrality." Pope Francis responded, "I highly appreciate the Catholic community’s significant contributions to Korean society, and I always carry Koreans in my heart. Please convey my special greetings to the Korean people."

Regarding Archbishop Lazarus You Heung-sik, the first Korean to become a minister of the Holy See, Pope Francis said, "Thank you for giving us the great gift of Archbishop Lazarus You Heung-sik from Korea. Due to COVID-19 quarantine, I could not meet him in person, but I asked you to convey my affectionate greetings to him."

Following the private meeting, President Moon and Pope Francis exchanged gifts in the presence of their aides. President Moon presented a cross made by melting the barbed wire from the DMZ, explaining that it was created with fervent prayers for peace on the Korean Peninsula. Pope Francis gifted a commemorative plaque made at the Vatican workshop depicting the centuries-old St. Peter’s Square, along with a booklet containing a photo of him praying in the empty St. Peter’s Square during COVID-19 and the prayer text.

When First Lady Kim Jung-sook said, "Seeing you pray in the empty square was heartbreaking," Pope Francis replied, "Paradoxically, the square has never been so full of people as at that time because many people worldwide were praying together."

Meanwhile, in the meeting with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See, following the meeting with the Pope, Cardinal Parolin said, "The Holy See is always ready to provide humanitarian aid regarding the difficulties faced by the North Korean people."

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