South Korea: Ultra-Right Catholic Group Accused At Church Tribunal

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A controversial ultra-right Catholic group in South Korea was accused of “anti-church” activities at a church tribunal on Oct.14.

Father Park Joo-hwan accused Vincent Seo Suk-koo, representative of the so-called Catholic Association to Protect Korea, at the Daegu Archdiocesan tribunal of harming the church.

Seo is “damaging the church” by aiding and abetting the non-faithful activities of members of the group, said Father Park.

“At first I thought it was a sound group with constructive opinions but it is shaking the foundations of the church,” he said.

Father Park argued that members of the group wrote stories leading people to believe that Korean bishops are followers of North Korea’s Kim regime and aid its spies.

Recently, members of the group held a rally in front of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea building in Seoul, accusing bishops of being North Korean sympathizers.

According to Canon Law, a person who publicly incites animosity or hatred against the Apostolic See or an ordinary or provokes subjects to disobey them is to be punished by an interdict or other just penalties.

It also rules against those who impede the freedom of the ministry or intimidate church officials.

The tribunal has yet to hand down its findings on the matter.

UCA News

The Union of Catholic Asian News (UCA News, UCAN) is the leading independent Catholic news source in Asia. A network of journalists and editors that spans East, South and Southeast Asia, UCA News has for four decades aimed to provide the most accurate and up-to-date news, feature, commentary and analysis, and multimedia content on social, political and religious developments that relate or are of interest to the Catholic Church in Asia.

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