Korean Church pays tribute to Catholic patriot

South Korea

Ahn Jung-geun was a martyr who sacrificed his life for justice and peace, says Archbishop Chung

The Archdiocese of Seoul in South Korea paid tribute to Catholic patriot and independence hero Ahn Jung-geun with a special Mass on his 112th death anniversary.

Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick of Seoul presided over the Mass themed “Remember, those who have become Salt and Light” together with the auxiliary bishops at Myeongdong Cathedral in the South Korean capital on March 26.

It was the first in a series of memorial Masses aiming to honor the faith of ancestors of the modern and contemporary history of Korea and to follow in their footsteps, according to a press release from Seoul Archdiocese.

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In his homily, Archbishop Chung hailed Ahn as “a patriotic martyr” who sacrificed his life like Jesus who carried the Cross for salvation of mankind.

“Ahn Jung-geun is a patriotic martyr who is hailed as one of the most respected independence heroes in Korea. We can see Jesus carrying the Cross through the sacrifice made by Ahn which achieved the independence of our country from Japan while aiming at promoting lasting peace in Asia,” said Archbishop Chung.

The prelate said that Ahn’s life and sacrifice are lessons for all to bring justice and peace in a world plagued by wars.

As part of his independence struggle, Ahn shot dead Hirobumi Ito, the four-times prime minister of Japan and first Japanese resident governor-general of Korea, on Oct. 26, 1909, in Harbin, northeast China

“Ahn also teaches us a lesson as a patriotic martyr that we should all become apostles to bring justice and peace to the world where there are currently ongoing wars and on the Korean Peninsula where the division is becoming more firmly entrenched,” he added.

Ahn Jung-geun was born on Sept. 2, 1879, in Haeju of Hwanghae province, now part of North Korea. His parents, Ahn Tae-hun and Kim A-ryeo, were Buddhists. He was the eldest among four siblings.

Ahn and his family members became Catholics in 1897. Ahn took his baptismal name Thomas. He then married and fathered three children — two sons and a daughter.

After his conversion, Ahn became a collaborator with foreign Catholic missionaries serving in the country. He also secured funding from the Catholic Church to establish two Catholic schools where he served as the principal. Ahn helped missionary priests in the propagation of Catholicism in Korea.

Anh also joined a nationalist movement to free Korea from Japanese occupation.

As part of his independence struggle, Ahn shot dead Hirobumi Ito, the four-times prime minister of Japan and first Japanese resident governor-general of Korea, on Oct. 26, 1909, in Harbin, northeast China.

He was arrested and imprisoned by Japanese imperial forces. He was tortured in custody and executed by Japanese forces on March 26, 1910, in Lushun prison in China. He was only 31.

“Ahn acted in righteous defense of the nation. The Catholic Church does not regard killing committed to defend the nation from unjust aggression as a crime”

Ahn’s act is regarded as a symbol of Korean resistance against Japan’s militarism and imperialism at that time. He is a popular subject in Korean drama, art, literature, and music.  

In 1962, South Korea’s government accorded Ahn the Order of Merit for National Foundation for his contributions to the independence movement.

For decades, the Catholic Church condemned Ahn’s actions and regarded him as a murderer for the assassination of Ito.

However, the Church’s stance changed in the 1990s, the time of late Archbishop Paul Ro Ki-nam, the first native archbishop of Seoul.

In 1993, late Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan of Seoul offered the first memorial Mass for Ahn and declared that his heroic deed didn’t violate his Catholic faith.

Though Thomas Ahn Jung-geun lived a very short life, he weathered the crisis with a firm belief in Catholicism and Jesus Christ, all for the independence of Korea and the peace of East Asia.

“Ahn acted in righteous defense of the nation. The Catholic Church does not regard killing committed to defend the nation from unjust aggression as a crime,” said Cardinal Kim.

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