The Founding Ancestors of the Catholic Church in Korea

책 소개

Preface Most Rev. Matthias RI Iong-Hoon Bishop of Suwon First of all, I am very glad to witness the publication of this book on the founding ancestors of the Korean Catholic Church that will assist in promoting their cause worldwide. This is because the faith and the devotion of the founding ancestors of the Catholic Church in Korea can be considered nothing but unique in the whole world and at the same time a miracle itself according to the Providence of God. Therefore, sharing this amazing history with the people around the world is indeed a blessing of God and a great source of pride for the Korean Catholic Church. The history of the Catholic Church in Korea interspersed with the blood of the martyrs is an exemplary legacy for the churches around the world to follow and a foundation for the evangelization and salvation of the Korean people as well. Above all, the founding ancestors of the Catholic Church in Korea unprecedentedly studied and received the Catholic faith without the guidance of either missionaries or clergy. As lay people, they voluntarily searched for and embraced the Catholic faith and fervently practiced its teachings. When for the first time in Korean history one of them was baptized in China and returned to Korea they made every effort to evangelize the Joseon society through the Christian communities. In this process, they felt the urgent need to have priests and started working hard to bring priests into Korea to help build the foundation for the Catholic Church in Korea. All these efforts can be considered as exemplary deeds for the lay faithful worldwide to follow. Against this background, the diocese of Suwon has been dedicating itself to promoting the beatification and canonization of the founding ancestors. For example, the diocese developed the Chonjinam Sanctuary where the first conference was held and has been looking after the cemetery of the five founding ancestors, namely, Yi Byok John the Baptist, Yi Seung-Houn Peter, Kwon Cheol-Shin Ambrose, Kwon Yil-Shin Francis Xavier and Cheong Yak-Jong Augustine. Furthermore, my diocese has also been promoting their beatification and canonization by holding symposia and various religious activities. On this occasion, I would like to express my heart-felt appreciation to all the people who have been devoting themselves to fulfilling the legacy of the founding ancestors. Going forward, I hope that all the faithful and good people will follow the exemplary spirit and virtues of the founding ancestors so as to become a light in this difficult time and continue to spread love among the people around them in the future. Finally, I wish abundant blessings on all the people who worked hard to give birth to the English version of this guide book and more especially, to Msgr. Shim Sang-Tai, who, as a world renowned theologian, has been striving to clear the founding ancestors of the false accusation of apostasy; to Professor Cho Kwang and Rev. Choi In-Gag for the researches and symposia, and Ha-Sang Publishing company for the publication and promotion of the book as well as Professor Hamm Meeja for the translation of the papers presented in this book; church theologians, and historians who have yielded excellent results by striving to research the life, martyrdom, and accomplishments of the founding ancestors. ************** As we are aware, understanding God’s redemptive plan from our human perspective can be very challenging and difficult, and therefore, we need the wisdom to look into it from the perspective of our faith. This is because God’s work can never be understood from the human standpoint. To save humankind, God intervenes and works in His own unique ways. First, God chooses the people who will accomplish His redemptive plan and leads them into the direction He wants. There are not many people who can understand and follow God’s way. Unless otherwise we remain awake, we will never be able to discern and understand. For instance, among the Kor…

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