Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-sik / Daniel Ibáñez / CNA
Rome Newsroom, 31 August 2022, 04:24 a.m. (CNA).
A new cardinal and head of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Clergy stated that his duty is to encourage priests and assist them in basing their lives on the Word of God.
Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-sik told CNA in a brief interview before the August 27 consistory, “My mission is to encourage priests, to offer them hope and strength.”
The cardinal, who is 70 years old, is the first Korean to command a Roman Curia office. Pope Francis selected him last year, and he assumed his position on August 2, 2021.
You stated, “It is crucial to us that there are many decent, courageous priests in the world who conduct themselves as good shepherds.”
Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-sik. Daniel Ibáñez / CNA
The former name of the Dicastery for Clergy was the Congregation for Clergy. It was renamed in January of this year as part of Pope Francis’ reform of the Roman Curia, as outlined in the Praedicate evangelium constitution.
The clergy office oversees the approximately 50,000 diocesan priests and 50,000 permanent deacons in the world. The dicastery is also responsible for the oversight of seminaries that train priests.
The Dicastery for Clergy is responsible for seminary formation and continued formation for priests, as well as dispensation from ministry.
Cardinal You stated that priests require continual formation, which, if done properly, can assist to the development of happy, moral priests.
“Continuous formation… based on the Word is essential,” he stated.
A priest who bases his life on the Word of God is like the house built on the rock, whereas a priest who does not is like the house built on sand, the cardinal said, citing Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 7 that the house built on the rock of God’s word “did not collapse” during a storm, whereas the house built on sand “was completely destroyed.”
The cardinal further underlined the significance of mutual love, as embodied in Christ’s New Commandment to “love one another as I have loved you.”
“This is what God desires,” he stated, stressing that Jesus is present when we learn to love more. He added, “This is the synodical Church.”
You stated, “Therefore, it is crucial that I also live the Word; I must do so and then establish the community in order for the Church to advance.” “I will work for this on behalf of priests and seminarians.”
According to the prefect, “theology does not convert people,” although preaching can convert a small number of individuals. “But where there truly is a positive example, it may alter individuals,” he continued, citing priests as a prime example.
On November 17, 1951, Cardinal You was born in the city of Nonsan. In 1979, he was ordained as a priest for the Diocese of Daejeon.
Before Pope Francis designated him head of the Dicastery for Clergy, You headed the Diocese of Daejeon in South Korea for more than 16 years, assuming the position in 2005 after being named coadjutor bishop in 2003.
You hosted Pope Francis in his diocese for the Sixth Asian Youth Day in August 2014, when he conducted Mass at Daejeon World Cup Stadium.
In 2018, he participated in the youth synod in Rome and made repeated trips to North Korea on behalf of the bishops’ conference of South Korea.
On August 27, 2022, Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-sik will receive the scarlet biretta from Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Basilica. Daniel Ibáñez / CNA
You were raised to the College of Cardinals by Pope Francis at a ceremony held at St. Peter’s Basilica on August 27, 2022.
You is the second Asian to lead one of the Vatican’s 16 dicasteries, following in the footsteps of Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples and former archbishop of Manila, Philippines.