[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] Archbishop Jeong Sun-taek (60, baptismal name Peter), the Archbishop of the Seoul Archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Korea, received the Pallium, a symbol of the responsibility and authority of a high-ranking clergyman, from Pope Francis on the 29th (local time).
On the morning of the same day, at the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul Mass held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, the Pope presented the Pallium to 44 newly appointed metropolitan archbishops from around the world, including Archbishop Jeong, saying, "You are called to serve as shepherds caring for the flock. As good shepherds, always be with God's holy and faithful people."
The Pallium is a ring-shaped band woven from lamb's wool, symbolizing the oath to faithfully carry out duties as a metropolitan archbishop overseeing a regional church (province) and an external sign of unity with the Holy See. Metropolitan archbishops who receive and wear the Pallium from the Pope can exercise all authority within their jurisdiction.
This is the first time in 10 years since Cardinal Yeom Soo-jung (78, Andrea), then Archbishop of Seoul, received the Pallium from Pope Benedict XVI in 2012 that a Korean clergyman has received it from the Pope.
In his remarks conveyed through the Seoul Archdiocese on the day, Archbishop Jeong said, "The Pallium symbolizes unity with the Holy Father," adding, "I will faithfully uphold its meaning and continue to walk together with clergy, religious, and laity in the spirit of the Synod."
He continued, "As a metropolitan archbishop who has received the Pallium, a symbol of unity, I will strive for cooperation and unity within the Seoul province and the Korean Church."
Archbishop Jeong was born in Daegu in 1961. After graduating from Seoul National University College of Engineering in 1984, he transferred to the Catholic University of Korea's Seongshin Campus to become a priest and was ordained in 1992 at the Carmelite Monastery in Incheon.
In 2000, he studied abroad in Rome, Italy, earning a master's degree in Biblical Studies from the Pontifical Biblical Institute. He was appointed auxiliary bishop of the Seoul Archdiocese in 2013 and received episcopal ordination in 2014.
Last October, he was appointed Archbishop of Seoul by Pope Francis and was elevated to the rank of archbishop.
The Archbishop of Seoul, who plays a central role in the Catholic Church in Korea, serves as the metropolitan archbishop of the Seoul province, which includes the dioceses of Chuncheon, Daejeon, Incheon, Suwon, Wonju, and Uijeongbu, and also acts as the apostolic administrator of the Pyongyang Diocese in North Korea.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
