The Vatican’s foreign minister has met South Korea’s president, Moon Jae-In during a six-day visit to the country.
Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States, comes after the historic recent meetings between President Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, as well as between Kim and United States’s President Donald Trump.
In a brief statement the Vatican said the archbishop had brought the "support and prayers" of Pope Francis for the “path of peace and reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula” along with highlighting “the importance of relaunching all necessary humanitarian initiatives” and the “urgent need” to encourage young people in building a culture of peace.
The Vatican has taken a close interest in the North Korea nuclear crisis along with attempts by the US to bring the Kim regime in from the cold. Before the Trump-Kim summit took place last month, Francis said he was praying their meeting would lead to the “development of a positive path”.
Archbishop Gallagher’s visit to the country will see him travel to the demilitarised zone of the South-North Korean border where he will be shown the construction site of a Catholic cathedral inside the Joint Security Area alongside the border.
He is also to meet with foreign minister, Kang Kyung-wha, around 45 Catholic lawmakers, speak at a symposium on peace and human rights and attend a liturgy in Myeongdong cathedral in Central Seoul.
There has been a deepening of ties between the Holy See and Korea during Francis’ papacy with the Pope speaking admiringly of the Korean church traveling to South Korea to celebrate Asian world youth day in 2014. Meanwhile the Jesuit-publication, “La Civilta Cattolica”, overseen by the Secretariat of State, set up a special Korean edition in 2017.
An experienced papal diplomat, Liverpool-born Archbishop Gallagher was appointed to his current post by Francis in 2014 making him the first British priest to hold the foreign minister role.
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