The scene of the biretta (priest's biretta) being bestowed at the 2020 Cardinal Ordination Ceremony. Photo by the Papal Liturgy Office
[Asia Economy Reporter Seo Mideum] The installation ceremony of Cardinal Lazarus Yoo Heung-sik (70), the fourth Korean cardinal, will be held on the 27th (local time) at the Vatican.
Cardinal Yoo, who was appointed as the first Korean Prefect of the Papal Congregation for the Clergy in June last year, was appointed cardinal on May 29. He is the fourth Korean cardinal following the late Cardinals Stephen Kim Sou-hwan (1922?2009), Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk (1931?2021), and Cardinal Andrew Yeom Soo-jung.
The installation ceremony of a cardinal, the highest clergy in the Catholic Church, boasts a tradition spanning several centuries. The ceremony is held with grandeur and solemnity in mind. The new cardinal installation ceremony will take place at 4 p.m. local time on the 27th, which is 11 p.m. Korean time.
It will be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, with Pope Francis presiding directly. Starting with the entrance hymn, the ceremony proceeds with greetings from representatives of the twenty new cardinals including Cardinal Yoo, followed by the Pope's prayers and homily. After the Pope proclaims the installation, the new cardinals take an oath of faith and pledge allegiance to the Church. Cardinal Yoo is expected to be the second to be called.
Afterwards, Pope Francis will present each cardinal with a red biretta and cardinal's ring, as well as a papal bull designating their titular church. The biretta, a symbol of the cardinal's dignity, is worn over the zucchetto (a skullcap). Its three peaks symbolize the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The red color signifies the commitment to defend the Church and freedom even to the shedding of blood.
The cardinal's ring signifies receiving a ring from Peter, the foremost of the apostles. Following an embrace with the Pope, the ceremony concludes with the Pope's blessing. While everyone sings the Marian hymn, the Pope requests the Blessed Virgin Mary (Mary, the mother of Jesus) to pray for the new cardinals and the Church in front of a statue or image of Mary, then exits.
Archbishop Lazarus Yoo Heung-sik (70), Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy of the Holy See, Cardinal [Photo by Yonhap News]
Cardinal Andrew Yeom Soo-jung will also attend the installation ceremony as a member of the College of Cardinals. To celebrate the installation, Bishop Matia Lee Yong-hoon, chairman of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea, Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taek of the Seoul Archdiocese, and Bishop Augustin Kim Jong-soo of the Daejeon Diocese will head to the Vatican.
The government and ruling and opposition party delegations will observe the installation ceremony and hold a meeting with Cardinal Yoo. According to the Apostolic Nunciature of the Republic of Korea, the domestic congratulatory delegation will number about 150 people.
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