Church officials in South Korea have unveiled the remains of four martyrs who sacrificed their lives during one of the worst periods of Christian persecution in the 19th century. Source: UCA News.
The unveiling of the remains of the martyrs — three French missionaries from the Paris Foreign Mission Society (MEP) and one Korean — was held in the presence of officials from the Korean Catholic Bishops’ Conference.
The martyrs are French Bishop Laurent Joseph Marius Imbert, Fr Maubant, Fr Chastan, and Fr Andrew Kim Tae-gon, the first native Korean priest.
The remains enshrined in a single relic case are “hair from Bishop Imbert, Fr Maubant and Fr Chastan, and a fragment of the foot bone of Fr Kim Tae-gon,” according to the official document.
The ceremony was part of the Korean Church’s celebration of the centenary of the beatification of 79 martyrs by the Vatican on July 5, 1925.
During a period spanning over a century, the rulers of Korea’s Joseon dynasty unleashed brutal persecution on Catholicism, leading to the martyrdom of thousands, according to Church documents.
The rulers banned Christianity, labelling it an alien faith associated with imperial foreign powers that contradicted Confucianism-influenced ethics and Buddhism.
During the July 2 ceremony, the certificates of martyrdom and beatification issued by the Vatican for the four were also unveiled.
Benedictine nuns preserved the remains of the martyrs for years, and the relics have been thoroughly examined to confirm their authenticity.
The three French missionaries arrived in Korea in 1836-1837, when persecution was at its peak. They were arrested after being accused of violating the royal order banning Christianity and engaging illegally in evangelisation and training Korean clergy.
They were executed together at Saenamteo in the Han River on September 21, 1839.
Fr Kim Tae-gon was ordained as the first native Korean priest on August 17, 1845, in Shanghai, China. He was arrested in June 1846 after being charged with assisting foreign missionaries in entering Korea illegally.
Kim was executed at Saenamteo in the Han River on September 16, 1846, just a year after his ordination.
Pope Pius XI beatified the four martyred priests in St Peter’s Basilica on July 5, 1925. Pope John Paul II canonised them on May 6, 1984, during his visit to South Korea.
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Korean Church unveils remains of four 19th century martyrs (Catholic Times of Korea via UCA News)
