On the occasion of the Feast of the Assumption on Thursday, August 15, which coincides in South Korea with Japan’s Independence Day, the Archbishop of Seoul asked the faithful to be “inspired by Mary’s faith” and to “follow in her footsteps.” An opportunity to also call on Christians to free themselves from the seeds of “division and hostility.”
Augustine Asta – Vatican City
The solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a moment that must be lived with great spirituality and devotion by the faithful. This is generally the main message delivered by the Archbishop of Seoul, Mgr Peter Soon-taick Chung, on the occasion of the celebration of the solemnity of the Assumption and the Independence Day of Japan this Thursday, August 15.
“Open your heart to truly listen to others”
According to the Archbishop, the solemnity of the Assumption contains “a paradox and a profound truth.” This is why “we must be inspired by the faith of Mary,” because, the Archbishop continues, if “we examine today’s world, our society is full of misleading images that seem more authentic than reality itself. Driven by an insatiable appetite for possession and ostentatious consumption, individuals measure the world and their relationships through the prism of material wealth.” A materialistic conditioning that “generates a difficulty in opening one’s heart to truly listen to others,” he explains.
Thus authentic listening requires silence. “It is in this silence that we discover the gift of self, a generous devotion of our time to others.” The archbishop goes further, specifying that “listening fosters unity, and those who experience such a healing of division embark on stronger paths of faith.”
“God elevates those who have a heart that listens and is in communion, and who commit themselves to his people. The Assumption prefigures the destiny of those who humble themselves.”
For Bishop Peter Soon-taick Chung, Mary’s faith “is deeply rooted in this sacred act of listening, which makes her a spiritual mother to us all.”
Before WYD, young people called to follow Mary
The Archbishop hopes that young people can “follow in Mary’s footsteps and become the leading figures in this spiritual odyssey. This exhilarating vision will permeate every aspect of World Youth Day Seoul 2027, including its entire preparatory phase,” he hopes, fervently praying “that young people, regardless of their religious affiliation, will walk together on this path.” Above all, he hopes that WYD Seoul 2027 will become “an authentic new beginning of liberation that will restore light, serving as a new opportunity for peace and unity.”
Archbishop Chung Soon-taick also believes that “thanks to the historic event of liberation, South Korea has attracted the admiration of the entire world as a beacon of democracy and culture, despite the deep scars of war.” The South Korean archbishop also recalled the path taken to achieve independence and that “taken by the Virgin Mary to reach Heaven,” as an opportunity to call on the faithful to free themselves from the seeds of division and hostility.
World Youth Day Seoul 2027 was officially launched on Sunday, July 28, at the historic Myeongdon Cathedral. Presiding over a solemn mass at …
