By A noted figure of the Democracy movement in Korea has past away:
Stephen Cardinal Kim Sou-hwan, one of the most revered religious leaders in Korea, died Monday. He was 86.
Cardinal Kim was sent to Gangnam St. Mary’s Hospital due to his frail condition in July last year and had been reportedly in a critical condition before falling into a coma briefly early Saturday morning.
“Cardinal Kim passed away at 6:12 p.m. Monday while in hospital for his deteriorating health,” an official of the Catholic Seoul Archdiocese said.
“He breathed for himself despite poor lung function due to complications from pneumonia resulting from infirmity. But he didn’t feel that much pain when he died,” Chung In-shik, a doctor at the hospital, said.
Medical staffs and officials of the Seoul Archdiocese who witnessed the hour of his death, conveyed his last message, which was “Thank you.” [Korea Times]
Cardinal Kim was noted durng the Democracy movement era of the 70′s and 80′s when he would shelter protesters at the Myeongdong Cathedral in Central Seoul from arrest.
1:54 am on February 16th, 2009 1
Here is the great man whom we are all going to miss. He was the sign of hope for true democracy against Military dictators in 70-80's in South Korea. I wonder how long will it take for the Vaticans to start his cannonization? He deserve to be a Saint.
BTW, why does South Korea only has one Cardinal? Japan has two and they have one tenth of Catholic population than South Korea.
2:52 am on February 16th, 2009 2
His Eminence was also a vocal critic of the Roh Moo-Hyun regime.
6:26 am on February 16th, 2009 3
One of the very few "good" Korean nationals out there.
RIP
7:10 am on February 16th, 2009 4
I wonder who else are included among thoses "good" koreans you are talking about. Just curiosity.
10:37 am on February 16th, 2009 5
Too bad. Some of my older Korean students and friends are really upset by this. They spoke of him with great admiration and pride. I'm going to have to inform myself a little more of the late Cardinal.
They also mentioned that he was the only Cardinal from Asia. That's not true, but there are really not many at all…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Asian_cardi…
11:01 am on February 16th, 2009 6
Catholism only maintains a strong foothold in a few places in Asia. One of Cardinal Kim's peers and I believe they drew support from each other's courage in the dark days was Cardinal Hymie Sin in the Phillipines. I still smirk when I think that Cardinal Sin was his real name.
They stood up to dictators and fortified their countrymen.
11:10 am on February 16th, 2009 7
Cardinal Peter Seiichi Shirayanagi is the only Cardinal in Japan.
11:11 am on February 16th, 2009 8
I have heard many Koreans speak highly of Cardinal Kim as well. However something I have found troubling in recent years is how Catholic priests are being used for leftist political purposes such as what we saw in last year's mad cow riots:
http://rokdrop.com/2008/07/05/using-religious-gro…
I have no idea if Cardinal Kim had anything to do with this, but clergy giving shelter to protesters against the military dictators in the 70's & 80's and then aiding the mad cow idiots trying to overturn a South Korean election shows how much the Catholic Church has come full circle in Korea over the years.
12:11 pm on February 16th, 2009 9
Maybe that has been some of the appeal of the Catholic Church in Korea. Their numbers have been going up for years while those who actually practice has been going down.
http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=3507
Like the mad cow protestors, maybe it's just hip to be Catholic.
On a side note, it is very common for Koreans to separate Catholicism from Christianity. I've had many discussions about this and so many people have been shocked to learn that Catholics are also Christians. Some of them even refuse to believe it. I usually have to explain what Protestantism is and then they start coming home. Not sure where this confusion stems from.
9:33 pm on February 16th, 2009 10
I think it's unfair to say "the Catholic Church" has come full circle by aiding the likes of mad cow disease protesters ~ it's really just a small group of priests involved in that.
It's the same as suggesting all Catholic priests are child molesters – when if fact, the vast majority are nothing of the sort.
11:43 pm on February 16th, 2009 11
There was a large number of Catholic priests that turned out for the protests and maybe I'm wrong but I haven't heard anyone from the Catholic Church condemn the involvement of these priests in these protests.