Pope Francis expressed his gratitude to the faithful of the Archdiocese of Seoul, South Korea, for their contribution to the “Vaccine-Sharing Campaign,” which supports the Vatican’s outreach to poor countries.
In a letter addressed to Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taek of Seoul, the pontiff thanked the faithful of the archdiocese for sending proceeds from a collection to help needy people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Vatican News quoted the pope who said that he “very much appreciated this gesture of generosity.”
The letter was written ahead of the celebration of Christmas, with the pontiff assuring the faithful of his “spiritual closeness to the entire diocesan community of Seoul.”
Pope Francis said that because of the help of the faithful in South Korea, “people in need around the world will receive assistance” through the outreach coordinated by the Office of Papal Charities.
In a press statement, the Archdiocese of Seoul revealed that it sent the Vatican about US$1.4 million.
The archdiocese has already supported the Vatican’s efforts with more than US$3.4 million sent since last year. The initiative was launched by Cardinal Andrew Yeom, retired archbishop of Seoul.
Father Matthias Young-yup Hur, spokesperson of the Seoul archdiocese, said in the press statement that the Holy Father “has expressed appreciation in a letter for every contribution made to the campaign.”
“Additionally, he was especially grateful for the sacrifice and love shared by the Korean church for the needy and the poor,” added the priest.
