Courtney McGrailAn ecumenical pilgrimage of Catholics, Anglicans, and other Christians by the border between North and South Korea has prayed for peace and reconciliation on the divided peninsula.
The pilgrimage, organised by the Taizé Community, celebrated vespers at Paju’s Church of Repentance and Atonement near Panmunjeom, the village on the 38th parallel where the 1953 Korean Armistice was signed .
“Reconciliation has always been the spirituality of our community,” said Taizé Brother Shin Han Yol , explaining that pilgrimages forces us to “get up, step outside, and begin the journey of reconciliation”.
Vespers were being held in Paju, he said, because of its proximity to North Korea, explaining, “our purpose is to stay close with our brothers and sisters of the North”.