Lee also expresses hope for pope to 'stop by North Korea' on his scheduled trip to Seoul in 2027
Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-sik on Monday expressed hopes for a historic moment where Pope Leo XIV and the leaders of the two Koreas meet together, in a meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung at his office in Seoul.
Cardinal You, who also serves as the prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy at the Vatican, conveyed his wishes of the pope, Lee and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to take a photo together, in hopes of thawing inter-Korean relations.
"At the final line (of my memo to the president), I wrote, how great it would be if Pope Leo XIV takes a photo together with our president and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un during his papal visit to Korea," You told Lee, referring to letters he sent to the liberal president.
So far, no pope in the history of the Catholic Church has either met a North Korean leader or made a papal visit to Pyongyang.
In the most recent move, a meeting between late Pope Francis, Pope Leo XIV's predecessor, and North Korean leader was pursued by former liberal President Moon Jae-in, who sought to improve Seoul's relations with Pyongyang. During Moon's tenure, the presidential office at that time relayed Kim's willingness to invite the pope to Pyongyang.
Pope Francis then said he was willing to go to North Korea if he receives the invitation, but Pyongyang did not extend the invitation. In a recent press conference held at the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea, Cardinal You said the Vatican's efforts to arrange late Pope Francis' papal visit did not bear fruit because North Korea was not responsive to such efforts.
In 2000, both Koreas extended an official invitation to the Holy See for a visit by the late Pope John Paul II. However, the trip ultimately fell through after the Vatican insisted that Catholic priests be allowed to enter and operate in the isolated North.
Recounting the moment of the conclave, when the first US-born pope was elected in May, Cardinal You told Lee that he "had a strong feeling" upon Pope Leo XIV's election win that he could make a contribution to peace on the Korean Peninsula."
In response, President Lee asked for the Vatican's dedication to peace on the Korean Peninsula, highlighting Pope Leo XIV's role in doing so.
Lee, who took office in June and has since called for de-escalation of tensions in the inter-Korean relations, said that he wished the pope "stop by North Korea" on the sidelines of a papal visit to Seoul for the World Youth Day scheduled to take place in South Korea's capital in 2027.
"I was thinking, why not stop by North Korea for peace on the Korean Peninsula," Lee said of the pope's itinerary.
As he welcomed the Catholic Church's attention to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, the president also said, "I hoped that the Vatican could make a special dedication to improving ties between the two Koreas and play a role in it."
Lee also expressed his willingness to meet the pope before his Korea visit, as Cardinal You offered Lee an invitation to visit the Holy See, which the pope greenlighted. According to Lee’s spokesperson Kang Yu-jung, plans for Lee to visit the Holy See have not yet been made.
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