{"id":186,"date":"2026-07-05T14:15:17","date_gmt":"2026-07-05T09:15:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=186"},"modified":"2026-07-05T14:15:17","modified_gmt":"2026-07-05T09:15:17","slug":"papal-north-korea-visit-hinges-on-pyongyang-cardinal-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=186","title":{"rendered":"Papal North Korea visit hinges on Pyongyang, cardinal says"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/ph\/st\/th\/3101783131644\/2026\/i\/17831318197882\/v1.5\/Papal-North-Korea-visit-hinges-on-Pyongyang-cardinal-says.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-sik speaks to reporters Friday at the Catholic Bishops\u2019 Conference of Korea offices in Seoul. Photo by Asia Today&#13;\n                                            <\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<p><span class=\"story_dl\">July 3 (Asia Today) &#8212;<\/span> A possible visit by Pope Leo XIV to North Korea will depend largely on Pyongyang&#8217;s attitude and the state of relations between North Korea and the United States, a senior South Korean cardinal said Friday.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The possibility of Pope Leo XIV visiting North Korea depends on the position of the North Korean authorities,&#8221; Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-sik told reporters in Seoul. &#8220;Relations between North Korea and the United States are the most important factor.&#8221;\n<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;If even a small door opens, it could become an opportunity to expand relations,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I hope that time comes soon.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>You, 74, is prefect of the Vatican&#8217;s Dicastery for the Clergy. He spoke at the Catholic Bishops&#8217; Conference of Korea offices in Seoul&#8217;s Gwangjin district while visiting South Korea for his summer vacation.<\/p>\n<p>President Lee Jae Myung invited Pope Leo to visit South Korea during their June 15 meeting at the Vatican.\n<\/p>\n<p>Lee asked the pope to attend World Youth Day, which will be held in Seoul from Aug. 3-8, 2027. The possibility of a papal visit to North Korea was also discussed.<\/p>\n<p>You said he had felt strongly after Leo&#8217;s election in 2025 that the new pope could play a role in promoting peace on the Korean Peninsula.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;When Pope Leo XIV was elected last year, I had a strong intuition that he would do something for peace on the Korean Peninsula,&#8221; You said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;When I shared that hope with him, he replied, &#8216;I hope that happens as well,'&#8221; the cardinal said.<\/p>\n<p>You said conditions inside North Korea would have to change before a papal visit could realistically take place.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;There are Protestant ministers, Buddhist monks and Russian Orthodox priests in North Korea, but there is not a single resident Catholic bishop, priest or nun,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p>You said Catholics live in North Korea and some foreign diplomats posted in Pyongyang are also Catholic.<\/p>\n<p>Having one or two resident priests at Jangchung Cathedral in Pyongyang could help create an atmosphere more favorable to a papal visit, he said.<\/p>\n<p>North Korea officially recognizes the Korean Catholic Association and maintains Jangchung Cathedral, but the Holy See does not have formal diplomatic relations with Pyongyang.\n<\/p>\n<p><b>Appointment of another Korean cardinal<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Asked whether Pope Leo could appoint another South Korean cardinal, You said the decision rests entirely with the pontiff.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;A cardinal&#8217;s role is to advise the pope,&#8221; he said. &#8220;The appointment of cardinals is entirely at the pope&#8217;s discretion.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>You noted that Leo has not yet announced his first appointments to the College of Cardinals and said an announcement could come soon.<\/p>\n<p>The Catholic Church in South Korea has produced four cardinals.<\/p>\n<p>Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan, who died in 2009, became South Korea&#8217;s first cardinal in 1969. Cardinal Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk died in 2021.<\/p>\n<p>Cardinal Andrew Yeom Soo-jung, the retired archbishop of Seoul, and You are the two surviving South Korean cardinals.<\/p>\n<p>Attention has focused on Archbishop Peter Soon-taick Chung of Seoul as a possible future cardinal because he leads the country&#8217;s largest archdiocese and serves as president of the local organizing committee for World Youth Day Seoul 2027.<\/p>\n<p>During his Vatican meeting, Lee conveyed the Korean Catholic community&#8217;s hope that a serving cardinal could be appointed to a diocese in South Korea.<\/p>\n<p>The pope responded that he would give particular consideration to South Korea&#8217;s circumstances if he appoints new cardinals, according to the presidential office.\n<\/p>\n<p><b>Preparations for World Youth Day<\/b><\/p>\n<p>You said the Vatican and the South Korean Catholic Church are making steady progress in preparing for World Youth Day.<\/p>\n<p>The gathering is expected to bring Catholic young people from around the world to Seoul for religious services, cultural events and meetings with church leaders.<\/p>\n<p>The main events traditionally include an opening Mass, a papal welcoming ceremony, the Way of the Cross, an overnight vigil and a closing Mass.<\/p>\n<p>You called for government assistance with preparations, including more flexible visa requirements for international participants.<\/p>\n<p>Some critics have questioned whether special local ordinances or government support for the event could favor one religion.<\/p>\n<p>You said the economic and diplomatic benefits generated by the gathering would exceed the value of the government assistance provided.<\/p>\n<p>He said he hoped the event would leave young visitors with a positive impression of South Korea.<\/p>\n<p>Asked about declining religious participation among young people, You said falling numbers of priests and candidates for the priesthood are concerns throughout the global Catholic Church.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The first thing that is important is to listen carefully to young people and open our hearts to them,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p><b>Exorcism and Opus Dei<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Reporters also asked You about exorcism and Opus Dei, a personal prelature of the Catholic Church that is under the Vatican dicastery&#8217;s jurisdiction for matters involving the Holy See.\n<\/p>\n<p>You said young people have shown considerable interest in priests authorized to perform exorcisms.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;As the examples of Jesus in the Bible show, the devil clearly exists,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p>He stressed that exorcism must never be connected with demands for money.<\/p>\n<p>He also said priests should avoid unnecessary physical contact during an exorcism, particularly when ministering to women, because such contact could raise ethical concerns or lead to misunderstandings.<\/p>\n<p>Under Catholic canon law, a priest may conduct a formal exorcism only after receiving specific authorization from the local bishop.<\/p>\n<p>You also addressed questions about whether Opus Dei could receive greater prominence under Pope Leo as the church considers declining birthrates and family issues.<\/p>\n<p>Opus Dei emphasizes the pursuit of holiness through ordinary professional, family and social life.<\/p>\n<p>You supported the establishment of Opus Dei activities in South Korea while serving as bishop of Daejeon.<\/p>\n<p>He declined to speculate about the organization&#8217;s future position under the new pope.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It is not a question that can easily be answered in one or two sentences,&#8221; You said. &#8220;There are complex discussions taking place within the Catholic Church.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><i>&#8212; Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>\u00a9 Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.<\/i>\n<\/p>\n<p><i>Original Korean report: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.asiatoday.co.kr\/kn\/view.php?key=20260703010001262\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.asiatoday.co.kr\/kn\/view.php?key=20260703010001262<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-sik speaks to reporters Friday at the Catholic Bishops\u2019 Conference of Korea offices in Seoul. Photo by Asia Today&#13; July 3 (Asia Today) &#8212; A possible visit by Pope Leo XIV to North Korea will depend largely on Pyongyang&#8217;s attitude and the state of relations between North Korea and the United States,&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":187,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/sv\/ph\/og\/i\/3101783131644\/2026\/1\/17831318197882\/v1.5\/Papal-North-Korea-visit-hinges-on-Pyongyang-cardinal-says.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-186","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-hub"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/186","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=186"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/186\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/187"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=186"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=186"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=186"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}