Beatification Process Underway for Pyongyang Bishop and the Other 213 Martyrs

AsiaNews ^ | 3/7/17 | Pietro Kim

[marshmallow]

The process will be national and not diocesan in scope. It covers two groups: Korean martyrs killed between 1785 and 1879 and those killed in modern Korea, from 1901 to Communist persecution after the Korean War (1950-1953). The first group includes John Baptist Yi Byeok, killed for the faith along with his whole family. The second group includes the bishop of P’yŏng-yang, presumed dead in a concentration camp, and Mgr Patrick James Byrne, Maryknoll missionary, taken to the North who died from exhaustion. For Mgr Lazarus You, the candidates are already saints for the faithful.

Seoul (AsiaNews) – The special committee for the Causes of Saints set up by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea has announced the start of the national process of beatification and eventually canonisation of two groups of martyrs: that of the Servant of God John Baptist Yi Byeok and his 132 companions, and that of the servant of God Mgr Francis Borgia Hong Yong-ho, the first bishop of P’yŏng-yang and his 80 companions.

The Vatican gave the committee a "national" and not "diocesan" mandate since the martyrs examined belong to different dioceses in the country.

The first group consists of martyrs of the faith killed between 1785 and 1879, under the Joseon dynasty, like John Baptist Byeok Yi (1754-1785), from a family of court dignitaries, who converted to Catholicism and later became one of the first evangelisers of Korea. All the members of his family were also condemned for their faith.

One whose martyrdom must be verified is Thomas Kim Pem-ou, who died in exile. By contrast, the martyrdom of Alexius Hwang Sa-yeong (1775-1801) is certain. According to the latest research, he died by lingchi, dismemberment of the body from pulling of the arms and legs tied to four animals.

All 133 members of this......