South Korean Catholics given rare permission to mark cathedral anniversary in Pyongyang скачать в хорошем качестве

South Korean Catholics given rare permission to mark cathedral anniversary in Pyongyang

(10 Nov 2013) A group of South Korean Catholics from Seoul were granted rare permission to attend Mass in the North Korean capital Pyongyang on Sunday. The service was the mark the 25th anniversary of the opening of the Jangchung Cathedral. Twelve Catholics from a South Korean group called "Corea Peace3000" attended the service, together with some North Koreans who worship at the cathedral. Corea Peace3000 is an NGO which does humanitarian work across Asia, including North Korea. "All of our prayers should be for reconciliation and making amends. We pray for peace and justice" said Father Park Chang-Il, from Corea Peace3000, as he addressed the congregation. The mass was led by a South Korean priest, Father Kwak Dong-cheol, from Seoul. Human rights activists and religious groups say the North does not allow freedom of religion, and accuse it of maintaining showpiece churches under state control. There are four official Christian places of worship in Pyongyang - two Protestant churches, one Catholic cathedral, and one Russian Orthodox church. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...