Election of Chairpersons at the General Assembly
Yonghoon Lee Reappointed as Chairman of the Bishops' Conference
Vice Chairman Jongsu Kim and Secretary Hyunjin Ok Newly Appointed Bishops
Beatification of Late Cardinal Suhwan Kim Promoted by Seoul Archdiocese
Bishop Lee Yong-hoon has been re-elected as the chairman of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea, the conference announced on the 12th. His term will last until October 2026.
On the 12th, the Catholic Bishops' Conference held a press conference at the Bishops' Conference Hall on Myeonmok-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, confirming Bishop Lee Yong-hoon's reappointment through the recent autumn regular general meeting.
Bishop Lee Yong-hoon Re-elected as Chairman of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea [Photo by Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea]
The chairman said, "I will contribute to various internal and external activities of the Church and help the Church to contribute to the evangelization of society," adding, "I feel a heavy responsibility and will follow the will of the bishops so that the 6 million believers in Korea can live their faith happily and the Church can be the light and salt of society."
Regarding the war between Israel and Palestine, he called for peace. He said, "The Holy See always says that dialogue is necessary and the war must end. We share the same position," adding, "Because of the holy sites, we earnestly pray for a peaceful resolution between Israel and Palestine."
Born in 1951 in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, Chairman Lee was ordained a priest in 1979 and served as an assistant priest and parish priest in the Suwon Diocese. He later earned a doctorate from the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome, Italy. After serving as a professor, dean of students, and president at Suwon Catholic University, he was appointed bishop in 2003. Since 2009, he has been serving as the bishop of the Suwon Diocese. He was elected chairman of the Bishops' Conference in 2020.
Kim Jong-su, bishop of the Daejeon Diocese, and Ok Hyun-jin, archbishop of the Gwangju Archdiocese, were newly elected as vice chairman and secretary, respectively. Vice Chairman Kim Jong-su was appointed bishop in 2009 and has been serving as the bishop of the Daejeon Diocese since February last year. Archbishop Ok Hyun-jin has been leading the Gwangju Archdiocese since November 2022.
Meanwhile, at this general meeting, it was unanimously agreed to promote the beatification of the late Cardinal Kim Soo-hwan in the Seoul Archdiocese. Beatification is the official recognition of a martyr or a person of high sanctity as Blessed after death.
The Mass commemorating the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Korea and the Holy See will be held on December 11 at Myeongdong Cathedral in the Seoul Archdiocese.
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