During South Korea trip, Pope will beatify martyrs, meet Asian youths says Cindy Wooden
The Korean martyrs who gave their lives for the Faith, the young people who will be the leaders of the Church across Asia and people with disabilities are the key features of the schedule prepared for Pope Francis when he visits South Korea in mid-August.
Pope Francis had said he would travel to the Asian nation to beatify 124 Korean martyrs and to participate in the sixth Asian Youth Day, a gathering of about 2,000 delegates from 30 countries.
The martyrs were among an estimated 10,000 Catholics in Korea killed for their faith between 1785 and 1888. Pope Francis will preside over a Mass and their beatification on August 16 in Seoul.
The Pope will have lunch with young people on August 15 and meet a group of Asian youth at the Solmoe shrine built in honour of Korea’s first Catholic priest, St Andrew Kim Taegon, who was martyred in 1946 at the age of 25. He will close the August 13-17 Asian Youth Day with a Mass at Haemi Castle, background of the 1864 Donghak Rebellion.
Here is the Pope’s itinerary as released by the Vatican. Times listed are local, with Irish time in parenthesis.
Wednesday, August 13 (Rome)
4pm (3pm)
Departure from Rome’s Fiumicino airport for Seoul.
Thursday, August 14 (Seoul)
10:30am (2:30am)
Arrival at Seoul air base.
Noon (4am)
Mass in private at the apostolic nunciature in Seoul.
3:45pm (7:45am)
Welcoming ceremony in the garden of the Blue House in Seoul. Private meeting with the President of South Korea.
4:30pm (8:30am)
Meeting with South Korean officials in the Chungmu Room of the Blue House. Speech by Pope.
5:30pm (9:30am)
Meeting with the bishops of Korea at the headquarters of the Korean bishops’ conference. Speech by Pope.
Friday, August 15 (Seoul, Daejeon, Solmoe, Seoul)
8:45am (12:45am) Transfer by helicopter to Daejeon.
10:30am (2:30am)
Mass on the feast of the Assumption in Daejeon’s World Cup Stadium. Homily by Pope. Recitation of the Angelus. Remarks by Pope.
1:30pm (5:30am)
Lunch with young people at the major seminary in Daejeon.
4:30pm (8:30am)
Transfer by helicopter to Solmoe.
5:30pm (9:30am)
Meeting with Asian youth at the Solmoe shrine. Speech.
7:15pm (11:15am)
Transfer by helicopter to Seoul.
Saturday, August 16 (Seoul, Kkottongnae, Seoul)
8:55am (12:55am)
Visit to the Seo So Mun martyrs’ shrine in Seoul.
10am (2am)
Mass and beatification of Paul Yun Ji-chung and 123 martyred companions at Seoul’s Gwanghwamun port. Homily by Pope.
3:30pm (7:30am)
Transfer by helicopter to Kkottongnae.
4:30pm (8:30am)
Visit to the rehabilitation centre for people with disabilities at the House of Hope in Kkottongnae.
5:15pm (9:15am)
Meeting with religious communities working in South Korea at the School of Love training centre in Kkottongnae.
6:30pm (10:30am)
Meeting with leaders involved in the lay apostolate at the Kkottongnae Spirituality Centre. Speech by Pope.
7pm (11am)
Transfer by helicopter to Seoul.
Sunday, August 17 (Seoul, Haemi, Seoul)
10am (2am)
Transfer by helicopter to Haemi Castle.
11am (3am)
Meeting with the bishops of Asia at the Haemi shrine. Speech by Pope.
1pm (5am)
Lunch with the Asian bishops in the dining room of the Haemi shrine.
4:30pm (8:30am)
Closing Mass for the sixth Asian Youth Day at Haemi Castle. Homily by Pope.
7pm (11am)
Transfer by helicopter to Seoul.
Monday, August 18 (Seoul, Rome)
9am (1am)
Meeting with religious leaders in the old archdiocesan headquarters building in Seoul.
9:45am (1:45pm)
Mass for peace and reconciliation in Seoul’s Myongdong
cathedral. Homily by Pope.
12:45pm (4:45pm)
Farewell ceremony at the Seoul air base.
1pm (5am)
Departure for Rome.
5:45pm (9am)
Arrival at Rome’s Ciampino airport.