Religious leaders visit North Korea

November 11, 2015

A group of 150 religious leaders, representing a wide variety of faiths, visited North Korea this week, in a rare opening to faith by the repressive Asian regime.

The religious leaders met to "pray together for peace and stability on the Korean peninsula" at the Singyesa Buddhist temple, an ancient site that was rebuilt in 2004 with help from South Korea. The temple is often the location for the few official religious meetings allowed in North Korea. 

The Noth Korean government has allowed two Christian delegations to visit recently: an association of Catholic priests and a group from the World Council of Churches. The two groups visited the only two Christian churches-- one Catholic, one Protestant-- in Pyongyang, the nation's capital. According to the Fides news service, about 200 Catholics attend services each week in the Catholic Church, although they cannot celebrate Mass because there is no Catholic priest in residence.

 

---

For all current news, visit our News home page.

---

 
Further information:

• An inter-religious delegation visits North Korea (Fides)