“We hope the summit will allow North-South relations for religious reasons and facilitate contact between separated family members” said Archbishop Nicholas Cheong of Seoul, also Apostolic Vicar of Pyongyang. “I thank God that the North-South summit is taking place” he added. “Korea is a small country with only 70 million people in a territory of 220,000 square kilometers. To discover its international place, Korea must be re-united.”

The archbishop said he was in favor of the strategy of trade contacts first, as the United States is doing with China: “If political re-unification is still too difficult, they could start with trade and cultural exchange. All around us there are great countries such as China and Japan: we are sad that our country is still divided in two. We hope efforts for unification-oriented exchanges may be carried out with consistence. At the summit political questions will be discussed, however we expect in-depth dialogue in the economic and cultural domains.”

“Re-unification will be possible only if it comes about peacefully. If the summit is to be a success it must be prepared with work for reconciliation and cooperation. But above all it will take the consensus of all the people, in the North and in the South,” said Cardinal Stephen Kim, who was archbishop of Seoul for thirty years, and who has never visited North Korea.

Catholic leaders have said they are confident the talks will have a positive outcome. Polycarp Choe, national secretary of South Korea’s Caritas office, says: “The South Korean government is anxious to increase aid and economic cooperation with the North. We hope that after the summit it will be easier to have direct contact and visits North/ South, and that Caritas may operate more freely.”

Pope John Paul II also gave his backing to the summit meeting. As he prayed the Regina Caeli with pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square on June 11, the Holy Father praised the two countries for taking the initiative to arrange the summit meeting, which he described as a “historic” event. He said that the meeting could only help to “contribute toward the reconciliation of two peoples, the reunion of families that have been separated for nearly a half-century, and a new stability and prosperity for the whole Korean peninsula.”

After a 24-hour delay caused by technical hitches, the three-day summit between leaders Kim Jong-il (North Korea) and Kim Dae-jung (South Korea) finally took place amidst rejoicing on both sides of the border.

“Compatriots in the North, we are one people. We share the same fate. Let us hold hands firmly. I love you all,” the overjoyed South Korean president said on his arrival. “We will not be able to solve all at once the bitterness that has accumulated over the past half century. But well begun is half done. I wholeheartedly hope that all the Korean people will have hopes for reconciliation, cooperation and peaceful unification.”

Before traveling to Pyongyang for the summit Kim Dae-jung, a fervent Catholic, attended Mass at his parish church. “I told the President to go to the North with a heart filled with forgiveness and tolerance,” said Father Ahn Pyong-ch’ol, the parish priest.

Also on the agenda for the Korean leaders’ meeting was the elimination of the state of war, which has technically remained in place since the armistice which put an end to the Korean War in 1953. The presidents also discussed cooperation in trade and political re-unification, and plans for reuniting separated families—an issue which involves more than seven million Koreans separated for 50 years. Catholics later rejoiced over agreement on the latter issue.

Observers said the summit would probably not bring immediate results, but it would serve to break the ice in North-South relations and start a gradual process of integration. “I thank God that the North-South summit is taking place,” said Archbishop Cheong.

While the summit meeting was taking place, Bishop Paul Ri of Taegu had urged his flock to pray especially for the success of efforts to reunite families. “This is an important moment in the history of our divided country and for our separated people,” he said.

Catholics in North Korea were pleased by the announcement that Kim Jong-Il had invited Pope John Paul II to visit the country. But their pleasure was tempered by caution. “There must be religious freedom, first of all,” before a papal visit takes place, said one missionary priest.

“Before the Pope can visit any country,” another Catholic leader explained, “a local Church must exist—a Church with its bishops, priests, faithful, and places of worship and institutions. In North Korea there are no priests, no religious men or women . . .”

Since the Catholic Church has no legal standing in North Korea, the Pyongyang diocese does not have its own bishop. Archbishop Cheong of Seoul doubles as apostolic administrator of the North Korean see. Archbishop Cheong has frequently voiced his desire to visit Pyongyang openly. “I regret not being able to celebrate Easter Mass there,” he said recently. “I pray that God will allow this in the near future.”

The formal invitation for the papal trip was conveyed to the Vatican Secretariat of State by the ambassador from South Korea, acting on behalf of the neighboring country. Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran, the Secretary for Relations with States, received the offer.

The Italian newspaper Il Messaggero wrote on June 18 that the Pope would “very probably” accept the invitation, and visit both North and South Korea sometime in 2001. The Pontiff has twice visited South Korea—in May 1984 and October 1989—but has never visited the North. However, not all observers were equally confident that a papal trip could readily be arranged. Another Italian daily, La Repubblica, quoted Italian foreign minister Lamberto Dini as saying that the Pope is more likely to visit Russia than North Korea.