Who is South Korean archbishop Lazzaro You Heung-sik?

연합뉴스 / 2022-05-30 11:27:52

▲ This photo, shows South Korean archbishop Lazzaro You Heung-sik who came to Rome, Italy being greeted by Korean catholics living in the area on June 30th last year. (Yonhap)

SEOUL, May 30 (Yonhap) -- South Korean archbishop Lazzaro You Heung-sik (70) who became the fourth cardinal in the history of Catholicism in Korea, is a priest known as a "hard worker" in the Korean Catholic society and The Holy See.

Since being appointed as the prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy on July last year for the first time in the history of Catholicism in Korea, it is evaluated that he has been performing duties and activities of over 500,000 priests and deacons around the world without any difficulties.

While there were some concerns both inside and outside the Vatican as an Asian priest has took over the work that an Italian minister has been doing all along, his typical sincerity and friendliness dispelled all these concerns.

You went a step further and helped to improve the unnecessary and bad business practices in order to transform the organization into an efficient one.

After he was appointed, the Minister's office was open to all the employees allowing them to visit him at any time. This was a rare sight in the practice of the Holy See.

A Korean priest in Rome said, "Some employees were so thrilled that the minister's office has been open in 20 years."

In addition to his outstanding work, You gained the trust of the employees for his easygoing and open leadership.

Of course, Pope Francis' full support and trust was the basis for all this establishment in the Holy See in a relatively short period of time.

The pope said that he had offered him the position of a prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy when he visited the Vatican in April last year when Cardinal You was the bishop of Daejeon. It is said that he even said, "With Bishop You's friendliness, he would be able to do anything."

He has also been active in various fields in the Catholic Church in Korea, showing outstanding business momentum.

In particular, he has a special passion and interest in supporting underdeveloped countries, including North Korea.

Starting the "COVID-19 Vaccine Sharing Movement" for the first among the world's parishes in order to help the underdeveloped countries at the end of 2020 is the representative example.

The vaccine-sharing campaign was later expanded to all Catholic diocese in Korea, and the Holy See also expressed gratitude for the active support of the Korean church aiding the under-developed countries during the difficult time.

Pope Francis is also said to have been very impressed with this event, and he even sent a message of thanks to the Korean church.

While serving as the Social Welfare Chairperson (2014-2018) of the Bishops' Conference of the Catholic Church in Korea, he served as the Korean representative of Caritas International, a non-governmental organization (NGO) under the Vatican.

He visited North Korea four times until 2009, also holding a blessing ceremony for the "Sterile Potato Seed Facility" when he visited North Korea in the September of 2005. With this background, he is also considered as one of the most knowledgeable clerics in North Korean affairs in the South Korean church.

Another Korean priest commented, "He is a priest who deeply ponders the issues of peace, environmental protection and migrant inclusion preached by Pope Francis and practices them in the realm of his ability."

The extraordinary friendship between Pope Francis and You is well known both inside and outside the Holy See.

Even before his appointment as the prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, he was one of the few Korean priests that was close with the pope.

You first met Pope Francis at the World Youth Day held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2013, when he was the bishop of Daejeon, and developed a relationship since then by sending each other letters.

The invitation letter from You also motivated the Pope to suddenly visit Korea for the "6th Asian Youth Congress" held at Solmoe Holy Land in Dangjin, South Chungcheong province in 2014, the year after his enthronement. As the visit to Korea was not part of the Pope's overseas pastoral visit schedule, it was even more surprising.

In an interview with Yonhap News Agency in 2014, You said, "I told the Pope, 'I had no idea you were coming to Korea,' and he said, 'You wrote a letter to me. While reading the letter, I heard a voice from deep inside my heart, 'I have to go to Korea.'"

Since then, it has been told that You has visited the Vatican once or twice a year to attend events or to personally meet with the pope and discuss about a variety of pastoral issues while understanding each other.