In the evening of February 10, 2026, the archbishop of Seoul, Korea, Peter Soon-taick Chung, O.C.D., presided over the 1,500th Mass for Korean Reconciliation and Unity at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in the Myeong-Dong district. According to a press release from the archdiocese, these Reconciliation Masses have been held every Tuesday at 7 p.m. since March 7, 1995.
“Regular Masses having been celebrated for nearly 31 years with unwavering dedication under one single orientation is a feat virtually unparalleled in the entire history of the Catholic Church in Korea,” said Archbishop Chung in his homily. “This demonstrates how crucial the tasks of peace on the Korean Peninsula and reconciliation and unity between North and South Koreas are for our people.”
North and South Korea have been officially two separate countries since the armistice of 1953 effectively ended the Korean War, although the division began in 1945 when Korea was freed from Japanese occupation. North Korea was born under the influence of Russia and China; the United States and Great Britain with the United Nations’ support were the dominant foreign influences in South Korea.
In attendance at the 1,500th Reconciliation Mass were over 400 participants, including the Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Giovanni Gaspari, former and inaugural Chairperson of the Korea Reconciliation Committee Archbishop Choi Chang-mou, various politicians, and priests, religious, and faithful. Archbishop Soon-taick started by thanking Archbishop Gaspari for consistently offering Reconciliation Mass himself on Tuesdays whenever the liturgical calendar permits it.
Meaningful even when results aren’t immediately apparent
“Over the past 30 years, there have been moments when peace on the Korean Peninsula seemed within reach, and periods when dialogue completely stopped and tensions reached their peak,” the archbishop of Seoul noted. This perseverance in celebrating the Reconciliation Mass reflects the deep faith of the Korean people. The Masses have been held without fail except for “temporary suspensions” during the COVID-19 pandemic, the press release clarifies.
The current situation, he acknowledged, is a difficult one in which “it is unclear where and how to resume dialogue.” However, that makes the Mass more, not less, important. “Efforts to understand the other side and seek reconciliation are by no means a weak or unrealistic choice,” he emphasized; “rather, they are a more courageous decision.”
In fact, Archbishop Chung is convinced that these prayers have indeed been effective. “It is a Mass that has safeguarded peace on the Korean Peninsula, a Mass for self-reflection and preparing for a new future.” It invites an examination of conscience and growth in humility: “We must examine the stubbornness and we-are-better-than-you mentality within ourselves,” he added. “When we see each other as brothers and neighbors, entrenched relationships can truly be transformed.”
During a commemorative ceremony that accompanied the Mass, Fr. Jung Soo Yong, Vice Chairperson of the Korea Reconciliation Committee, pledged, “We will continue to hold in our hearts the desire for peace on the Korean Peninsula and improved inter-Korean relations, and pray together with more people.”
