A piece of sunshine

[김애란] To build bridges

To build bridges

 

All Koreans have been anxiously awaiting the reconciliation of South and North Korea through long, arduous, and struggling steps after the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice. So many people made sincere efforts and sacrifices for the painful dream of our country.

 

Pope Francis is well aware of the situation on the Korean Peninsula. So he has the greatest hope that the peace and reconciliation talks that started with the April 27 summit at the truce village of Panmunjeom will continue. 

 

The two Koreas were able to march under the unification flag during the last Olympic games in PyeongChang, overcoming a history of trading insults and threatening war.

 

Little by little, our divided country is changing. The Church is not an exception. Christians are sincerely praying and working hard to prepare for the peaceful future of the country. 

 

At the same time, the Church is reforming its own inward and outward structures constantly. Benedict XVI was the first Pope to resign from his post in 600 years. He handed over the reforming spirit to the newly appointed Pope Francis who is doing his best to transform the world.

 

It is very appropriate that Archbishop Alfred Xuereb came to Korea as the Apostolic Nuncio, a papal representative. Msgr. Alfred Xuereb was born in 1958 in Victoria on the Maltese island of Gozo. He studied philosophy and theology, specializing in spirituality with a doctoral thesis on “The Easter mystery in Christian life”. He was ordained a priest in 1984.

 

He served as the second private secretary of Pope Benedict XVI and became the first private secretary of Pope Francis in 2013. It is known that he sobbed when Pope Benedict XVI resigned. It is said that Benedict XVI regarded him as a son. 

 

Then, Alfred Xuereb worked to reform of the economic-administrative structure of the Holy See in his role as the first Prelate Secretary of the Secretariat for the Economy. Instead of driving a car, he rode a bicycle to the office every day. 

 

On Feb. 21, he was appointed as the Apostolic Nuncio for South Korea and Mongolia with the demanding task of creating smooth international relationships among Asian countries and the Vatican. At present, there are about 1,255 baptized Catholics to each local priest and a total of 7 parishes and 77 missionaries in Mongolia that accepted the Catholic Church in 1992.

 

Thus, Msgr. Xuereb chose the words “Ut Unum Sint,” meaning “That they may be one,” as his motto for his pastoral apostolate. “That they may be one,” was said by Jesus in his prayer to the Holy Father at the Last Supper. Jesus prayed for unity because he strongly wished for his disciples to remain united in his mystic body, that is, the Church.

As a person with discretion and diligence, a respectful but intimate confidence and friendliness, Msgr. Alfred Xuereb said in an interview that “I tend to try to build bridges, also on a cultural level. I want to continue in the footsteps of my predecessors. I will do my small part to build bridges.”

 

What a beautiful and meaningful idea it is for us to build bridges around the world! China is presenting the longest bridge-tunnel across the sea to connect mainland China and Hong Kong. All of us have the desire to connect and to be connected with one another whether in person or virtually. Let all our bridges bring peace and harmony to the poorest and the most alienated people living on the frontiers!


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