The Archdiocese of Seoul celebrates the centenary of the beatification of the 79 Korean martyrs of the Gihae and Byeong-o persecutions in the 1800s with a Mass, the release of a new report and a history exhibition.
by Vatican News
SEOUL — On Saturday, July 5, the Archdiocese of Seoul, South Korea, marked the 100th anniversary of the beatification of the 79 Korean martyrs of the Gihae (1839) and Byeong-o (1846) persecutions with a Mass, the release of a new report on their martyrdom and a special exhibition, a press release of the Archdiocese’s website states.
“Even in the trials of persecution, these martyrs never abandoned their faith in the Lord. Their endurance deepened their faith, which ultimately bore fruit as true hope that overcame even death”, said the Archbishop of Seoul, Peter Soon-taick Chung, during his homily.
The 79 Korean martyrs of the Gihae and Byeong-o persecutions were beatified by Pope Pius XI in St. Peter’s Basilica on July 5, 1925. Paul VI then beatified a second group of 24 martyrs in 1968, and both groups, totaling 103 people, were canonized collectively by Pope John Paul II in 1984.
More than 1000 faithful gathered for the liturgy on Saturday, at the Seosomun Shrine History Museum in Seoul, where 41 of the 79 martyrs lost their lives. According to the Fides news agency, in the 19th century the Korean Church estimates that approximately 16,000 Catholics were killed. Religious freedom was not granted to Catholics in Korea until 1895.
A new report with historical documents
The press release explains that during the mass a new report titled “The Documentation of the Gihae and Byeong-o Persecutions” was also published by the Martyrs Elevation Committee of the Archdiocese of Seoul. This work drew from the royal chronicles, judicial records and state archives of the Joseon Dynasty who ruled at the time of the persecutions. The official documents and data from the time featured in the report have also been translated into Korean to make this information more accessible to scholars and the Catholic community.
“This is the first time that historical facts from official records—interrogations, reports, and directives from institutions like the Royal Secretariat and the State Council—have been carefully extracted, translated, and compiled, rather than relying solely on testimonies,” said Archbishop Chung. “Even though these were records written by the persecutors, the courageous faith and deep conscience of the martyrs stand out all the more clearly within them”.
A historical exhibition
Additionally a special exhibition titled “Anima Mundi – Souls of the World” was inaugurated at the Shrine after the Mass and it will run until September 14. This display commemorates the 100th anniversary of the 1925 World Missionary Expo of the Vatican Museums, which the Korean Church had participated in at the time. The current display in Seoul is modeled on the “Joseon Pavillion” erected in the Vatican Gardens in 1925 and traces the situation of the Korean Church at that time. It features 270 artifacts gathered from 16 Korean museums and monasteries alongside items loaned by the Vatican’s Ethnological Museum, the press release of the Archdiocese explains, adding that the exhibition encourages reflection on the importance of dialogue, respect and peaceful coexistence among nations.
