Mgr Alfred Xuereb

Pope Francis has appointed Mgr Alfred Xuereb as Apostolic Nuncio to South Korea and Mongolia.  Mgr Xuereb served at the Prefecture of the Pontifical Household under Pope John Paul II, was appointed second private secretary to Pope Benedict XVI and was the first prelate secretary of the Secretariat for the Economy under Pope Francis. His latest appointment will undoubtedly be equally challenging.

He chose as his episcopal motto the phrase Ut Unum Sint – ‘That they may be one’ – a fitting choice for the nuncio serving in a country which is marked by division. While the Holy See has relations with the South Korea, it will be hard to ignore the divisions in the Korean peninsula and the pain this causes.

Ji Seong-ho – a defector who was President Donald Trump’s guest at the State of the Union address – reminded the world of the inhumane cruelty which prevails north of the demilitarised zone in the reclusive communist state. Ji defiantly raised his crutches as the President recalled his remarkable story starting with his childhood marked by famine and scavenging, arrest and torture.

After he defected, Ji sought to raise awareness about the brutality of this regime. One aspect of Ji’s narrative has been overlooked. Ji was a Christian, and he came into contact with Christianity in this reclusive State. The support that Christian communities give to defectors is both remarkable and admirable.

Christianity thrives in underground cells in North Korea. Approximately 30,000 North Koreans currently profess to be Christian; some 2,000 are believed to be Catholics. They regularly hold underground prayer meetings and religious services. If discovered by the regime, they will most likely face charges of sedition which would undoubtedly end with execution.

Ri Hyon Ok was a wife and mother of three children. In June 2009, this 33-year-old was executed by the regime for the crime of distributing a Bible. Her husband and children are believed to be in a political prison camp. Three generations are likely to pass before this family will be absolved of the crime.

The stories of other brave individuals are never likely to surface. Until 2013, Francis Hong Yong-ho was listed in the Annuario Pontificio as the ‘missing’ Bishop of Pyongyang. The Holy See chose to keep his name to highlight the plight of North Korean Christians.

Bishop Hong was born in Pyongyang in 1906 and ordained in 1933. He was consecrated bishop and appointed as the Vicar Apostolic of Heijō in 1944. When the dreadful Kim Il-Sung took control of the northern part of the Korean peninsula, he sought to purge any element which would prove to be problematic to his regime.

In 1949, a year after the two states were formally established, North Korea arrested several priests and religious. Bishop Hong is believed to have been one of the 166 who were executed by the regime.

Pope John XXIII created the diocese of Pyongyang in 1962 and nominated Bishop Hong as its first bishop. In all likelihood, Bishop Hong was already dead by then. It was only in 2013, when the bishop would have been 106 years old, that the Church acknowledged that he is dead. This allowed the Church in Korea to begin examining the process of his possible beatification.

Despite the offers by brave individual priests, the North Korean regime does not allow a permanent Catholic priest to reside in North Korea

The Church in Korea is one of the most vocal supporters of reunification and reconciliation. Cardinal Andrew Yeom Soo-Jung, the current Archbishop of Seoul, also serves as the apostolic administrator of the Pyongyang diocese.

His installation Mass was held on June 25, 2012 – the 62nd anniversary since the beginning of the Korean War. He is the primate of all Korea and peace, reconciliation and reunification are key themes of his episcopacy. During his 2014 visit to South Korea, Pope Francis himself echoed the hopes of the Church in Korea and took the opportunity to urge prayers for peace and reconciliation.

The day when both Koreas will be unified is still distant. In an interview with the now-defunct Italian periodical 30 Giorni, Cardinal Yeom’s predecessor highlights some of the challenges that the Church in Korea faces when dealing with its northern counterpart.

Cardinal Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk was eager to visit North Korea. However, the regime requested a substantial donation which the diocese could not afford. The Church which seeks peace and reconciliation is also one which continues to suffer from this division.

The North Korean regime maintains that it supports freedom of worship. A Catholic Church was constructed in Pyongyang when the 1988 Olympic Games were held in Seoul. However, there are no priests in North Korea, and the local Catholic Association is undoubtedly one which serves the needs of the regime.

The Church in South Korea continues to send aid to its fellow Koreans. There are reports that this aid is then requisitioned by the government. Occasionally, visiting priests are allowed to say Mass in North Korea. Such permits are only given against the promise of aid.

Despite the offers by brave individual priests, the North Korean regime does not allow a permanent Catholic priest to reside in North Korea. Thislack of religious freedom extends to all other denominations.

Although North Korea has no official relations with the Holy See, the Holy See is certainly aware that underground Catholics face persecution. As the Pope’s envoy in Korea and Mongolia, this will probably weigh on the mind of Mgr. Xuereb.

The Church in Malta rightly rejoices over this appointment. He will undoubtedly serve with distinction. However, we must also appreciate that the task he faces is difficult. Mgr. Xuereb deserves all our best wishes, as well as some prayers from the faithful.

André DeBattista is an independent researcher in politics and international relations.