Archbishop Chung Soon-taek, head of the Catholic Archdiocese of Seoul, urged the faithful to "remember those suffering amid war and tension" ahead of Easter on May 5.
In his Easter message released Sunday, Archbishop Chung said, "I pray that the Lord's comfort and hope be with those living in anxiety and all who strive to live according to their conscience." He also quoted Pope Leo XIV, who said that "in the wounded faces of the poor and in the suffering of the innocent, one sees the suffering of Christ himself." Archbishop Chung stressed, "We must remember, pray for, and stand in solidarity with all who suffer, and we must not turn away from those whose lives are threatened by war and violence."
Archbishop Chung also emphasized the importance of human dignity in a rapidly changing era. "All technologies, including artificial intelligence, must serve not as tools that alienate people but as means to connect one another and save lives," he said. "When we choose the path of protecting and saving lives in every place we live, we walk more deeply with the Risen Lord."
Archbishop Chung is scheduled to preside over the Easter Vigil Mass on May 4 and the Easter Sunday Mass on May 5 at Myeongdong Cathedral, the seat of the Archdiocese of Seoul, where he will deliver his Easter message.
