“Viva il Papa! Viva il Papa!”

Cheers filled the Daejeon World Cup Stadium to greet Pope Francis as the convertible car carrying the pontiff entered the stadium at 10:15 a.m. on August 15. Some 50,000 Catholics, filling the stadium, wildly waved handkerchiefs to welcome the head of the Roman Catholic Church to Korea.

The cheers of joy and delight subsided as the stadium moved toward a more reverent and solemn atmosphere in preparation for Mass. Pope Francis wore a yellow ribbon on his chest in honor of the ferry victims and celebrated a Mass on the Solemnity of the Assumption. It is a ceremony that commemorates the death of Mary and, with God's blessing, her bodily assumption into heaven.

In a sermon on the teachings of Our Lady's virtuous deeds, the pope said, "May Catholics in the country fight the seduction of materialism that suppresses righteous values and culture, and the trend of endless competition that causes selfishness and division. Let's exclude the culture of death that insults human dignity."





"May people object to the inhuman economic model that marginalizes laborers and creates a new form of poverty," the pope said. "May people exclude the culture of death that ignores God and God's statue and that insults the dignity of children."

"Korean Catholics, who have inherited their precious traditions, have a calling to raise the value of their legacy and pass it on to the next generation. For that purpose, each and everyone here should repent their sins according to the Gospel and pay close attention to the poor and to the weak around us," he said.

"We honor Our Lady, the Queen of Heaven, and urge on the mother of the Korean church," the pope said. "May Our Lady help us devote ourselves to the dignified freedom we received at the time of baptism, and make an effort to change the world, as planned by God."

"We also ask Our Lady to help the church here to fully expand into the heart of Korean society with the assistance of God. May Catholics here become abundantly powerful to bring a mental transformation in every part of this country," he continued. "May the youth of today find joy and confidence and never lose hope," he added, encouraging young people to do good.

“May Our Lady, the Queen of Heaven, bless our brothers and sisters so that they can enjoy freedom and happiness, that they wisely use that freedom and take care of their brothers and sisters and that they can work for and serve their country, as a manifestation of hope,” the pope prayed.



Co-celebrating the Mass, Cardinal of Korea Andrew Yeom Soo-jung welcomed the pontiff’s visit, saying, “All the messages of hope that John Paul II delivered during his trip here in 1989 still resonate with us even after 25 years.

“Pope Francis’s visit greatly encourages us in this difficult time after the tragic sinking of the Sewol ferry in April,” said the cardinal, as he beseeched the pontiff to send blessings, courage and strength to those in pain.

“All the martyrs who sacrificed their lives in this land are a testament to accepting and trusting their belief in God, as we can tell from the way in which they lived and left this land,” he added. Korean churches are now transforming from being on the receiving end to giving back, he also said.

In response, the pope said, “We especially entrust to Our Lady all who lost their lives in the sinking of the Sewol, as well as those who continue to be affected by this great national disaster.

“May the Lord welcome the dead into his peace, console those who mourn and continue to sustain those who so generously came to the aid of their brothers and sisters.

“May this tragic event that has brought all people together in grief confirm their commitment to work together in solidarity for the common good,” he prayed.



“We also ask Our Lady to look with mercy on all those among us who are suffering, particularly the sick, the poor and those who lack dignified employment. Finally, on this day when Korea celebrates its liberation, we ask Our Lady to watch over this noble nation and its citizens.”

The pope also prayed for all the young people who have joined the sixth Asian Youth Day, coming from across Asia.

Prior to the Mass, a group of artists and musicians, including a church choir, singer Insooni and soprano Sumi Jo, welcomed the faithful with their outstanding performances.

The ceremony was emceed by Kim Chang-ok, president of the broadcasting network Daejeon MBC, and anchor Moon Ji-ae. The pre-Mass ceremony featured the Daejeon Boys & Girls Choir and the Dona Dei choir from the Catholic Diocese of Daejeon.

Singer Insooni sang, "A goose's dream," to console those in despair, including the families of the ferry disaster victims, and Soprano Sumi Jo sang, "Nella Fantasia," and, "Ave Maria."


Sumi Jo recalled, "I missed several nights of sleep ahead of the papal visit performance." Kim of Daejeon MBC said, "I hope that through this visit, people will become free of sin, sorrow and pain." Anchor Moon added that, "The pope's visit is a personal honor as well as a joy for all of Asia, beyond Korea."

Pope consoles bereaved families of Sewol victims

Before celebrating the Mass on the Solemnity of the Assumption, Pope Francis met survivors and members of the families of the victims of the sunken ferry Sewol. They had walked more than 900 kilometers to arrive at the Mass venue and presented the pope with the cross they had carried with them.

Two survivors and ten representatives of the families of the victims attended the meeting. They said to the pontiff, "There are 300 forsaken souls alongside the cross. Please join them while celebrating this Mass." The pope accepted willingly.

The representatives told the pope that, "There are still ten who haven't made it back." They offered to the pope one of the symbolic yellow ribbons for those who remember the ferry sinking, a collection of photographs and letters from survivors and families and added, "Please pray for them and consider visiting Paengmokhang Port," the closest point to where the vessel sunk.

Afterward, one of the representatives said, "It was hard to talk due to the nervousness of actually meeting the pope in person," and that, "I felt thankful that he had met us first, the ones with wounded hearts. We didn't know what to expect, yet to my surprise, he had actually put on the yellow ribbon for the Mass. Although much is left in our journey, I found the courage to endure difficulties and to stand upright."

Korea.net special report team
All photos courtesy of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism