Archbishop Yu Heung-sik Appointed New Cardinal... Fourth Korean to Receive the Title

[Asia Economy Reporter Seomideum] Archbishop Yoo Heung-sik (71, photo), who serves as the Prefect of the Vatican Congregation for the Clergy, has become the fourth cardinal in the history of the Catholic Church in Korea. A cardinal is a clergyman who holds the authority and honor second only to the pope in the Catholic Church. Cardinals under the age of 80 participate in the conclave (papal election) in the event of the pope's vacancy and have the right to be elected pope. Among Koreans, Yoo Heung-sik and Cardinal Yeom Soo-jung hold the right to participate in the conclave.

Pope Francis announced the list of 21 new cardinals, including Archbishop Yoo, after leading the Sunday Angelus prayer at the Vatican Apostolic Palace on the 29th. Archbishop Yoo, who was appointed as the first Korean prefect of a Vatican congregation in June last year, became the fourth Korean cardinal following the late Kim Soo-hwan (1922?2009), Jeong Jin-seok (1931?2021), and Yeom Soo-jung (78).

Born in Nonsan, Chungnam Province, Archbishop Yoo graduated from the Faculty of Dogmatic Theology at the Lateran University in Rome, Italy, in 1979 and was ordained there. He served as a professor and president at Daejeon Catholic University and was consecrated as a bishop in 2003. Known for using Italian, the language of the Vatican, as fluently as his native tongue and having strong connections within the church hierarchy, Archbishop Yoo is considered one of the few Korean clergymen close to Pope Francis. In fact, he played a key role in facilitating Pope Francis's visit to Korea in August 2014.

In June last year, Archbishop Yoo was appointed as the Prefect of the Vatican Congregation for the Clergy, overseeing the duties and lives of priests and deacons worldwide, surprising the global Catholic community. This was the first time in the 240-year history of Korean Catholicism and the history of the Vatican that a Korean clergyman was appointed to a senior position equivalent to undersecretary or higher. Since Cardinal Yeom Soo-jung retired last year as Archbishop of Seoul, Archbishop Yoo is currently the only active Korean cardinal.

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea stated, "Through this appointment, Archbishop Yoo Heung-sik has gained a well-deserved status and honor suitable for the Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy," and added, "We expect Archbishop Yoo to play a significant role in the development of not only the Korean Church but also the global Catholic Church."

The consistory for the installation of the 21 new cardinals, presided over by the pope, is scheduled to be held at the Vatican on August 27.

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