[Opinion] Cardinals

Pope John Paul II announced the list of 31 new cardinals on Sept. 28, ahead of the 25th anniversary of his election set for Oct. 21. He read out each name of the elite priests of Catholic Church, sitting near the window of his office and looking down a mass in St. Peter Square. The new cardinals include top Vatican officials as well as prelates from France, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Japn, Nigeria, Sudan, the U.S., Scotland, Brazil, Brazil, Ghana, India, Australia, Croatia, Vietnam, Guatemala, Hungary, Canada, Switzerland, Belgium, Czech and Poland. But there was no Korean name on the list.

Catholic priests wear different colors of dress depending on their status. Most priests wear black, bishops purple, cardinals red and the pope white. Wearing red color, cardinals are considered members of Roman Catholic council, handpicked by the pope. Some of them remain eligible to elect a successor of the current pope throughout lifetime, and others lose the right when they turn 80 years old. Cardinals from all over the world will gather together in Sestina Cathedral in Vatican under Michelangelo`s great painting on creation to elect a new pope after the current pontiff`s death. The number of cardinals is now 195 and 135 of them will have the right to elect a new pope.

It was 1969 when this country had its own cardinal for the first time. In less than a year since he was appointed to head of Seoul Archdiocese after working for Mason Archdiocese, Bishop Kim Su-hwan became cardinal. Having some difficult times after being elected as the first Korean cardinal, Kim became a spiritual lead of the society as well as led Catholic churches of Korea. Cardinal Kim, however, retired a few years ago and turned 80 years old last year, losing his right to elect a pope. Korea does not have a single vote to be counted, therefore.

In history of world`s Catholic churches, Korea is recorded as the only country that began to accept God without presence of missions. Despite notorious prosecution, it gave birth to as many as 103 saints. Still, this country has 4.3 million believers although the Catholic population worldwide continues to decline. It is hurting, therefore, that this country has had only one cardinal. Japan, which has only a third size of Catholic population compared to Korea, has had 5 cardinals so far. As Cardinal Kim has been a respected leader through difficult times, people are pinning hopes on his successor, whoever he may be.

Oh Myeong-cheol, Editorial Writer, oscar@donga.com