Courtney Grogan for CNA: On Aug. 17 Pope Francis stood at an altar in front of Gyeongbokgung Palace, the palace of a dynasty that ruled over the Korean peninsula for more than 500 years and was responsible for the torture and execution of an estimated 10,000 Catholics. In the face of such persecution, a public Mass would have been unimaginable in Korea just 150 years ago.
Yet today, God’s victory was made manifest as Jesus Christ, the true king of all nations, was exalted and worshipped in His Eucharistic presence by the hundreds of thousands gathered. “Christ is victorious and his victory is ours,” Pope Francis proclaimed in his homily. In the midst of the current devastating suffering of Christians in the Middle East and lasting heartbreak of a divided Korea, the Beatification of 124 Korean martyrs is a timely reminder of our hope that through Christ’s death and resurrection nothing can separate us from the love of God. Full report is here.
