Religious Circles Mourn Benedict XVI... "Will Remember Love and Practice"

Memorial Movement Continues... Archbishop Jeong Suntak "Spiritual Mentor and Leader"
Line of Believers at Myeongdong Cathedral

Cardinal Yeom Soo-jung (far left), Archbishop Jung Soon-taek, the Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Seoul, and the group of bishops are paying their respects at the memorial altar for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, set up at Myeongdong Cathedral on the afternoon of the 1st.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo Mideum] The religious community mourned the passing of former Pope Benedict XVI, who died on the 31st of last month.

The Korean Conference of Religious Leaders for Peace (KCRP), composed of seven major religions including Protestantism, Buddhism, Won Buddhism, Confucianism, Cheondoism, Catholicism, and the Korean Council of Indigenous Religions, released a condolence statement on the 1st, saying, "We express our deepest condolences on the passing of former Pope Benedict XVI. The trajectory of the Pope’s life, who personally practiced the tradition and love of Catholicism throughout his life, will be forever remembered in our hearts." They added, "We pray for the eternal rest and peace of former Pope Benedict XVI, and send our deepest sympathies to Catholic believers worldwide who are immersed in grief."

The Catholic Church commemorated the deceased through a Mass on the first day of the new year.

Archbishop Jung Soon-taek, Archbishop of the Seoul Archdiocese, said at the Mass held at Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul that day, "Not only Korean Catholics but Christians around the world and those who respect the Pope are deeply immersed in sorrow, and at the same time, in thoughts commemorating his eternal rest in the arms of God."

Archbishop Jung referred to Benedict XVI’s statement, "The true problem of the Church is not the decline in the number of believers but the disappearance of their faith," and evaluated him as "an apostle of peace, a spiritual teacher, and a leader of our time."

He continued, "We pray that he may enjoy the peace of rest in the Lord’s comfort and mercy, under the grace of the baby Jesus who came to the world as the light of love."

A memorial space for Benedict XVI has been set up in the underground sanctuary of Myeongdong Cathedral. On the 2nd, the Apostolic Nunciature in Korea plans to establish a separate memorial space.

The Korean Catholic Bishops’ Conference and the clergy will hold a memorial Mass for Benedict XVI at 4 p.m. on the 7th at Myeongdong Cathedral.

After the passing of Benedict XVI, his will, containing the message "Stand firm in faith," was made public. The will was written in German on August 29, 2006, one year after his enthronement.

Benedict XVI ascended to the papacy as the 265th pope in April 2005, succeeding John Paul II, but resigned from the papacy in February 2013 due to health issues after eight years, and had since held the title of "Pope Emeritus."

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