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South Korean President Jae-in-the-moon and Kim Jung-sook, right, pose with Pope Francis during a private audience at the Vatican, Thursday, Oct. 18, 2018. South Korea's president is in Italy for a series of meetings that culminated with an audience with Pope Francis, who is Kim Jong Un to visit. (Alessandro Di Meo / ANSA via AP)
Last week, South Korean President Jae-in delivered a verbal message from Kim Jong-un to Pope Francis inviting him to North Korea. The Pope indicated an interest in meeting with North Korea's dictator, if he received a formal, written invitation.
Even if the invitation were embossed in gold, a papal visit would be ill-advised. It would doubtless be construed as an unwarranted moment between the Vatican and one of the world's worst persecutors of persons of faith.
Pope Francis has shown keen interest in Asia. Kim Jong-un's invitation on the heels of a provisional Vatican deal with China.
Inked in late September, the Vatican allegedly exchanged previously bishops appointed by the Chinese government. There is still some question veto power to the Pope over future bishops selected by the Chinese Communist Party. Such a deal has potential serious consequences for the religious freedom of Catholics in China. Also worrisome is that the agreement came amidst a severe crackdown on religious freedom in China.
A papal visit to North Korea reads legitimacy to a regime that, according to Open Doors USA, is the world's worst persecutor of Christians. Like China, North Korea has been labeledcountry of particular concern"In the State Department 's Annual Released International Religious Freedom Report of its Inception, and Rightly So.
In 2014, the UN Commission of Inquiry postponement North Korea committed crimes against humanity. It has also been noted that the "gravity, scale and nature of these violations" in the United States of America, "furthermore, the report found that Christians face greater persecution than any other religious group in North Korea.
How bad is it? Consider the experience of Ji Hyeon A. The subject of persistent persecution for her Christian faith, Ms. Ji fled to China three times. Each time, she was repatriated by Beijing back to North Korea. On one such occasion, North Korean authorities forced her to renounce her Christian faith and abort her unborn baby.
Ms. Ji's experience is not unique to North Koreans. The UN Commission of Inquiry reports that they are routinely asked if they had contact with Christian missionaries during their time in China. If they answer the question, yes in some cases, they are even sentenced to political prison camps. Christians are thought to make a high percentage of the estimated 80,000 to 120,000 political prisoners in North Korea.
The Vatican may assume that rapprochement with North Korea will have a positive impact on religious freedom for North Koreans. And Kim Jong-un is interested in improving religious freedom in the country.
The North Korean government sees a threat to its three generations of dynastic rule, which has centered around the pseudo-deification of the North Korean leader. Every North Korean must maintain a spotless, dust-free picture of their so-called Dear Leader on the wall of their home or face punishment. Some of North Korea's fear of religion stems from religion, especially Catholicism, has played in the overthrow of communist regimes in the Soviet Union, Poland, and Romania.
The Vatican Summit Meeting between Donald Trump and the North Korean leader. That high-profile meeting Kim Jong-un in the limelight and yielded little to no progress on stated objectives of denuclearization or improving human rights. A papal meeting with Kim Jong-a would prove non-productive.
Indeed, it might prove counter-productive. As Sung-Yoon Lee, assistant professor at Fletcher School at Tufts University, has noted:
Rather than even increasing the peace, denuclearization, and the human rights of the long-suffering people of North Korea, the papal visit would only encourage Kim Jong-un to carry out its reckless policy of nuclear brinkmanship and ruthless policy of extreme repression.
Instead, the Pope should consider issuing several conditions prior to agreeing to a meeting. For example, he could call on Kim permit humanitarian organizations access to political prison camps that no doubt imprison North Korean Catholics gold press for the release of women and children from these camps. Without progress on human rights or in promoting religious freedom, the Pope risks sacrificing the leverage needed to advance the cause of freedom in North Korea.
He should say no to a meeting with Pyongyang's brutal dictator at this time.
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South Korean President Jae-in-the-moon and Kim Jung-sook, right, pose with Pope Francis during a private audience at the Vatican, Thursday, Oct. 18, 2018. South Korea's president is in Italy for a series of meetings that culminated with an audience with Pope Francis, who is Kim Jong Un to visit. (Alessandro Di Meo / ANSA via AP)
Last week, South Korean President Jae-in delivered a verbal message from Kim Jong-a to Pope Francis inviting him to North Korea. The Pope indicated an interest in meeting with North Korea's dictator, if he received a formal, written invitation.
Even if the invitation were embossed in gold, a papal visit would be ill-advised. It would doubtless be construed as an unwarranted relaxation between the Vatican and one of the world's worst persecutors of persons of faith.
Pope Francis has shown keen interest in Asia. Kim Jong-un's invitation on the heels of a provisional Vatican deal with China.
Inked in late September, the Vatican allegedly exchanged previously bishops appointed by the Chinese government. There is still some question as to whether or not the deal grants power to the Pope over future bishops selected by the Chinese Communist Party. Such a deal has the possible consequences for the religious freedom of Catholics in China. Also worrisome is that the agreement came amidst a severe crackdown on religious freedom in China.
A papal visit to North Korea reads legitimacy to a regime that, according to Open Doors USA, is the world's worst persecutor of Christians. Like China, North Korea has been labeled a "country of particular concern" in the State Department 's International Religious Freedom report, and rightly so.
In 2014, the UN Commission of Inquiry reported that North Korea committed crimes against humanity. It has also been noted that the "gravity, scale and nature of these violations" in the United States of America, "furthermore, the report found that Christians face greater persecution than any other religious group in North Korea.
How bad is it? Consider the experience of Ji Hyeon A. The subject of persistent persecution for her Christian faith, Ms. Ji fled to China three times. Each time, she was repatriated by Beijing back to North Korea. On one such occasion, North Korean authorities forced her to renounce her Christian faith and abort her unborn baby.
Ms. Ji's experience is not unique to North Koreans. The UN Commission of Inquiry reports that they are routinely asked if they had contact with Christian missionaries during their time in China. If they answer the question, yes in some cases, they are even sentenced to political prison camps. Christians are thought to make a high percentage of the estimated 80,000 to 120,000 political prisoners in North Korea.
The Vatican may assume that rapprochement with North Korea will have a positive impact on religious freedom for North Koreans. And Kim Jong-un is interested in improving religious freedom in the country.
The North Korean government sees a threat to its three generations of dynastic rule, which has centered around the pseudo-deification of the North Korean leader. Every North Korean must maintain a spotless, dust-free picture of their so-called Dear Leader on the wall of their home or face punishment. Some of North Korea's fear of religion stems from religion, especially Catholicism, has played in the overthrow of communist regimes in the Soviet Union, Poland, and Romania.
The Vatican Summit Meeting between Donald Trump and the North Korean leader. That high-profile meeting Kim Jong-un in the limelight and yielded little to no progress on stated objectives of denuclearization or improving human rights. A papal meeting with Kim Jong-a would prove non-productive.
Indeed, it might prove counter-productive. As Sung-Yoon Lee, assistant professor at Fletcher School at Tufts University, has noted:
Rather than even increasing the peace, denuclearization, and the human rights of the long-suffering people of North Korea, the papal visit would only encourage Kim Jong-un to carry out its reckless policy of nuclear brinkmanship and ruthless policy of extreme repression.
Instead, the Pope should consider issuing several conditions prior to agreeing to a meeting. For example, he could call on Kim permit humanitarian organizations access to political prison camps that no doubt imprison North Korean Catholics gold press for the release of women and children from these camps. Without progress on human rights or in promoting religious freedom, the Pope risks sacrificing the leverage needed to advance the cause of freedom in North Korea.
He should say no to a meeting with Pyongyang's brutal dictator at this time.
