{"id":15332,"date":"2020-10-19T18:22:55","date_gmt":"2020-10-19T22:22:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.worldcatholicnews.com\/?p=15332"},"modified":"2020-10-19T18:22:55","modified_gmt":"2020-10-19T22:22:55","slug":"new-korean-bishops-president-reiterates-churchs-anti-abortion-stand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.worldcatholicnews.com\/new-korean-bishops-president-reiterates-churchs-anti-abortion-stand\/","title":{"rendered":"New Korean bishops\u2019 president reiterates Church&#8217;s anti-abortion stand"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.vaticannews.va\/etc\/designs\/vatican-news\/release\/library\/main\/images\/vatican-news-header-white.png\" alt=\"Vatican News\" \/>                                                                                                                                                  <\/p>\n<figure>                                                                                                                            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.vaticannews.va\/content\/dam\/vaticannews\/agenzie\/images\/ansa\/2019\/04\/11\/10\/ruling-on-anti-abortion-law-at-constitutional-1554971031208.jpg\/_jcr_content\/renditions\/cq5dam.thumbnail.cropped.750.422.jpeg\" alt=\"Pro-life activists protesting against abortion in Seoul, South Korea, in April 2019.  \" \/>                          Pro-life activists protesting against abortion in Seoul, South Korea, in April 2019.                                         (ANSA)                                                <\/figure>\n<p>                                 CHURCH<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>                                              South Korea                                      <\/li>\n<li>                                              bishops&#039; conference                                      <\/li>\n<li>                                              abortion                                      <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>                   New Korean bishops\u2019 president reiterates Church&#039;s anti-abortion stand         After his election, new CBCK president, Bishop Mathias Lee Yong-hoon of Suwon held a press conference on Friday in Seoul, touching upon several issues.                                  <\/p>\n<p>By Robin Gomes<\/p>\n<p>The newly-elected leader of the Catholic Bishop&#039;s Conference of Korea (CBCK) has declared the Church\u2019s continued pro-life stand in South Korea, saying abortion is unacceptable.  <\/p>\n<p>Bishop Mathias Lee Yong-hoon of Suwon, elected CBCK\u2019s new president at the Oct. 12-15 Fall General Assembly, made the statement at a press conference on Oct. 16 at the CBCK centre in Seoul.<\/p>\n<p>As leaders of the Church in Korea, he said at the start of the press conference, they strive to realize the common good in society, working and cooperating with others \u201cso that all citizens can live a just, happy, and peaceful life\u201d.<\/p>\n<h2>Firmly opposed to abortion<\/h2>\n<p>Speaking about the culture of life in the country, Bishop Lee lamented that \u201cthe trend of neglect of life is rampant in Korea\u201d. \u201cTo defend the dignity of life and to protect it cannot be compromised for any reason.  I am firmly opposed to abortion and will continue to do so.\u201d  <\/p>\n<p>He said he would urge the government to work hard to prepare a system for a culture of life, and the National Assembly to legislate for a culture of healthy life.<\/p>\n<h2>The new bill<\/h2>\n<p>South Korea&#039;s government has adopted a draft law to legalize abortion until the 14th week of pregnancy.  It adopted a bill on Oct. 7 that plans to plans to ban abortion after 14 weeks of pregnancy except in the case of a sex crime or if it affects the mother&#039;s health or severe congenital disabilities for the fetus.   The law bans abortions after 24 weeks of pregnancy, the Justice Ministry said.<\/p>\n<p>Although the government has adopted the bill, citizens have been given around 40 days to submit their views before it is sent to the National Assembly for approval. The Catholic Bishops&#039; Conference of Korea has been opposing the move to legalize abortion since August when the government was finalizing the draft bill.<\/p>\n<h2>Conscientious objection<\/h2>\n<p>After reiterating the Church&#039;s unequivocal stand against abortion, Bishop Lee went on to urge the government to allow conscientious objection, reported The Korean Times.<\/p>\n<p>Conscientious objection to abortion is the right of medical staff to refuse participation in abortion for personal belief. \u201cHealthcare workers,\u201d the CBCK president said, \u201cshouldn&#039;t be punished just because they refuse to perform an abortion procedure.&quot;<\/p>\n<h2>Covid hardships<\/h2>\n<p>At Friday\u2019s press conference, Bishop Lee also touched upon other issues. Noting the hardships that people are facing, especially employees and small business owner, because of the pandemic, he urged for solidarity with them. <\/p>\n<p>He recalled Pope Francis\u2019 recent encyclical letter \u201cFratelli tutti\u201d on fraternity and social friendship, saying it that the church should serve humanity. <\/p>\n<h2>Two Koreas<\/h2>\n<p>Speaking about relations between the two Koreas, Bishop Lee expressed sadness that even after 70 years of the start of the Korean War, relations between the two neighbours were still tense. the hat even on the 7th anniversary of the Korean War, relations between them are still tense. For the past 25 years, the Catholic Church in South Korea has been gathering every Tuesday at the feet of the Virgin Mary in Seoul Cathedral to implore the grace of reunification. With the help of this prayer, Bishop Lee hopes to make a concrete plan for inter-Korean reconciliation.<\/p>\n<h2>Our \u201ccommon home\u201d<\/h2>\n<p>The new Korean bishops\u2019 president took up the issues of climate change and pollution amid the pandemic and infectious diseases. \u201cWe must strive to preserve our one and only earth well,\u201d he said citing Pope Francis\u2019s encyclical \u201cLaudato si\u2019\u201d. He said the bishops \u201cwish to continue the movement to preserve the ecological environment and protect the earth, our common home\u201d.<\/p>\n<figure>                                                                                                                                    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.vaticannews.va\/etc\/designs\/vatican-news\/release\/library\/main\/images\/support-comunicazione-banner.png\" alt=\"Your contribution for a great mission:support us in bringing the Pope&#039;s words into every home\" \/>                                       <\/figure>\n<p>                 Your contribution for a great mission:<br \/>support us in bringing the Pope&#039;s words into every home                                        Topics         <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>                                              South Korea                                      <\/li>\n<li>                                              bishops&#039; conference                                      <\/li>\n<li>                                              abortion                                      <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>                                                19 October 2020, 18:13             <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>                              Send                      <\/li>\n<li>                              Print                      <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pro-life activists protesting against abortion in Seoul, South Korea, in April 2019. (ANSA) CHURCH South Korea bishops&#039; conference abortion New Korean bishops\u2019 president reiterates Church&#039;s anti-abortion stand After his election, new CBCK president, Bishop Mathias Lee Yong-hoon of Suwon held a press conference on Friday in Seoul, touching upon several issues. By Robin Gomes<br \/>\n The newly-elected leader of the Catholic Bishop&#039;s Conference of Korea (CBCK) has declared the Church\u2019s continued pro-life stand in South Korea, saying abortion is unacceptable.<br \/>\n Bishop Mathias Lee Yong-hoon of Suwon, elected CBCK\u2019s new president at the Oct. 12-15 Fall General Assembly, made the statement at a press conference on Oct. 16 at the CBCK centre in Seoul.<br \/>\n As leaders of the Church in Korea, he said at the start of the press conference, they strive to realize the common good in society, working and cooperating with others \u201cso that all citizens can live a just, happy, and peaceful life\u201d.<br \/>\n Fi..<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[83],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v15.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>New Korean bishops\u2019 president reiterates Church&#039;s anti-abortion stand - WORLD CATHOLIC NEWS<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.worldcatholicnews.com\/new-korean-bishops-president-reiterates-churchs-anti-abortion-stand\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"New Korean bishops\u2019 president reiterates Church&#039;s anti-abortion stand - WORLD CATHOLIC NEWS\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Pro-life activists protesting against abortion in Seoul, South Korea, in April 2019. (ANSA) CHURCH South Korea bishops&#039; conference abortion New Korean bishops\u2019 president reiterates Church&#039;s anti-abortion stand After his election, new CBCK president, Bishop Mathias Lee Yong-hoon of Suwon held a press conference on Friday in Seoul, touching upon several issues. By Robin Gomes The newly-elected leader of the Catholic Bishop&#039;s Conference of Korea (CBCK) has declared the Church\u2019s continued pro-life stand in South Korea, saying abortion is unacceptable.  Bishop Mathias Lee Yong-hoon of Suwon, elected CBCK\u2019s new president at the Oct. 12-15 Fall General Assembly, made the statement at a press conference on Oct. 16 at the CBCK centre in Seoul. As leaders of the Church in Korea, he said at the start of the press conference, they strive to realize the common good in society, working and cooperating with others \u201cso that all citizens can live a just, happy, and peaceful life\u201d. Fi..\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.worldcatholicnews.com\/new-korean-bishops-president-reiterates-churchs-anti-abortion-stand\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"WORLD CATHOLIC NEWS\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/World-Catholic-News-109605280463871\/?modal=admin_todo_tour\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-10-19T22:22:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.vaticannews.va\/etc\/designs\/vatican-news\/release\/library\/main\/images\/vatican-news-header-white.png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Worldcatholicn1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Worldcatholicn1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\">\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"3 minutes\">\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.worldcatholicnews.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.worldcatholicnews.com\/\",\"name\":\"WORLD CATHOLIC NEWS\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":\"https:\/\/www.worldcatholicnews.com\/?s={search_term_string}\",\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.worldcatholicnews.com\/new-korean-bishops-president-reiterates-churchs-anti-abortion-stand\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.vaticannews.va\/etc\/designs\/vatican-news\/release\/library\/main\/images\/vatican-news-header-white.png\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.worldcatholicnews.com\/new-korean-bishops-president-reiterates-churchs-anti-abortion-stand\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.worldcatholicnews.com\/new-korean-bishops-president-reiterates-churchs-anti-abortion-stand\/\",\"name\":\"New Korean bishops\\u2019 president reiterates Church's anti-abortion stand - WORLD CATHOLIC NEWS\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.worldcatholicnews.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.worldcatholicnews.com\/new-korean-bishops-president-reiterates-churchs-anti-abortion-stand\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2020-10-19T22:22:55+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-10-19T22:22:55+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.worldcatholicnews.com\/#\/schema\/person\/491272a1cdc8eb55245d48e5044377c8\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.worldcatholicnews.com\/new-korean-bishops-president-reiterates-churchs-anti-abortion-stand\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.worldcatholicnews.com\/#\/schema\/person\/491272a1cdc8eb55245d48e5044377c8\",\"name\":\"NEWS DESK\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.worldcatholicnews.com\/#personlogo\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f27f47f91f7d6f43179d283d82de5681?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"NEWS DESK\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.worldcatholicnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15332"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.worldcatholicnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.worldcatholicnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.worldcatholicnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.worldcatholicnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15332"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.worldcatholicnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15332\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.worldcatholicnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15332"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.worldcatholicnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15332"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.worldcatholicnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15332"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}