Archbishop Chung Soon-taick, head of the Archdiocese of Seoul, has been appointed a member of the Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches within the Vatican's Dicastery for Evangelization, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea said Tuesday. The term is five years.
The Dicastery for Evangelization was established under the apostolic constitution "Praedicate Evangelium." It comprises the Section for Fundamental Questions of Evangelization in the World and the Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches, and is presided over directly by the Pope.
The Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches, to which Archbishop Chung was appointed, supports the proclamation of the Gospel and the deepening of faith life in areas of first evangelization, and handles matters related to the establishment and modification of ecclesiastical jurisdictions and the appointment of bishops. It also helps new particular churches grow and become self-sustaining, and promotes missionary activities in cooperation with bishops' conferences, organizations and church movements.
Archbishop Chung graduated from Seoul National University's Department of Industrial Chemistry, studied at the major seminary of the Catholic University of Korea, was ordained a priest in 1992, and was ordained a bishop in 2014. In 2021, he was appointed Archbishop of Seoul and Apostolic Administrator of Pyongyang. He also serves as a standing committee member of the Bishops' Conference, a director of the Catholic Conference of Korea, and chairman of the Bishops' Conference Committee for the Clergy.
Korean clergy currently serving as members of Vatican dicasteries include Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-sik, Archbishop Kim Hee-joong, Bishop Lee Seong-hyo and Bishop Chang Shin-ho. Cardinal You serves as a member of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, the Dicastery for Legislative Texts, the Dicastery for Culture and Education, the Section for Fundamental Questions of Evangelization in the World of the Dicastery for Evangelization, and the Dicastery for Bishops, as well as a member of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State. Archbishop Kim serves as a member of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, Bishop Lee as a member of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, and Bishop Chang as a member of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.
