Pope Francis presents the pallium to Archbishop Chung Soon-taick

Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taiCk of Seoul received the pallium from Pope Francis. The pallium symbolizes the power and responsibility of a top cleric. Newly appointed archbishops of each country can exercise authority as the archbishop when they receive the pallium from the pope.

Pope Francis presented the pallium to 44 new metropolitan archbishops around the world at the Holy Mass and Blessing on the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles, which took place on Thursday at the Saint Peter’s Basilica, Vatican. The presentation of the pallium to Korean archbishop by the pope is first in 10 years since the then-archbishop Andrew Yeom Soo-jeong of Seoul in 2012.

The pallium is a circular strip made of white lamb’s wool. It symbolizes a promise to sincerely fulfil duties of the archbishop and unity with the pope. The metropolitan archbishops who received the pallium are top clerics of each country have been newly appointed in the past one year. Pope Francis delivered the pallium himself and blessed the new archbishops.


Sung-Hwi Kang yolo@donga.com