FRANCIS PUSHES PEACE IN THE KOREAN PENINSULA, MULLS PAPAL VISIT
VATICAN CITY— Pope Francis said on Thursday he would consider a landmark trip to North Korea upon the invitation of North Korea, according to South Korean South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
Moon, a practicing Roman Catholic, verbally relayed the invitation from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to the pope during a 35-minute meeting in the Vatican.
Is North Korea Catholic?
Any visit to the reclusive state would be a first by a pope and especially significant as North Korea does not allow priests to be permanently stationed there.
There is little information on how many of its citizens are Catholic, or how they practice their faith.
North Korea’s constitution guarantees freedom of religion as long as it does not undermine the state.
But beyond a handful of state-controlled places of worship—including a Catholic church in Pyongyang—no open religious activity is allowed and the authorities have repeatedly jailed foreign missionaries.
Kim told Moon of his wish to meet the pontiff during a meeting last month and the South Korean leader announced before the trip that he would be relaying a message.
According to the president’s office, Francis expressed his strong support for efforts to bring peace to the Korean peninsula.
‘Do not be afraid’
Moon’s office quoted the pope as telling Moon: “Do not stop, move forward. Do not be afraid.”
Asked if Kim should send a formal invitation, Moon’s office quoted the pope as responding to Moon: “your message is already sufficient but it would be good for him to send a formal invitation.”
“I will definitely answer if I get the invitation, and I can go,” the president’s office quoted the pope as saying.
Diplomatic offensive
A meeting with Pope Francis would be the latest in a string of major diplomatic meetings for Kim Jong-un this year, following the three summits he has had with Moon.
Kim also held an unprecedented summit with US President Donald Trump in Singapore in June, where the leaders promised to work toward denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.
The pope is expected to visit neighboring Japan next year and the proposed North Korea visit comes as China improves relations with the Holy See.
A deal signed in September gives the Vatican a say in the choice of bishops in China, and for the first time, Beijing allowed two bishops to attend a Vatican meeting, where they invited the pope to visit China.
A Vatican statement made no mention of the verbal invitation from North Korea’s Kim.