South Korean priest's challenge to government draws angry reaction
November 27, 2013
The Archbishop of Seoul, Korea, has appealed for calm, but defended the right of the Church to comment on public issues, after a priest’s complaints against the government prompted an angry reaction against the Church.
AsiaNews reports that Father Park Chang-shin launched complaints about electoral fraud and about government spying on citizens. The priest’s public remarks outraged supporters of President Park Geun-hye, who organized protests at the Seoul cathedral. The offices of the archdioces were swamped with angry phone calls, and the cathedral was evacuated on Monday after a bomb threat.
Archbishop Andrew Yeom Soo-jung said that “it is not the role of the pastors of the Church to intervene directly” in the country’s political life. At the same time, “We Christians cannot play the role of Pilate, washing our hands,” he said. “We must be involved in politics,”
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