The family of the late Lee Sang-eun, a victim of the Itaewon tragedy, had an audience with Pope Leo XIV on the 21st (local time). This is the first time the new Pope, who was inaugurated on the 18th, has met with Koreans during a general audience.
The family of the deceased, including Sang-eun’s father, Seong-hwan, and mother, Kang Sun-yi, met Pope Leo XIV through a general audience at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican that morning. On that day, the Pope interacted with believers from around the world and greeted those who had requested an audience in advance. The turn for the families of the Itaewon tragedy victims was the 13th.
The Pope reportedly asked the family if they had come from Korea. Mr. Lee’s mother asked the Pope to take care of the souls of Sang-eun, who lost his life in the Itaewon tragedy on October 29, along with 159 others, and to help the parents find the truth about that day. They also gave Pope Leo XIV a purple ribbon and star badge symbolizing the victims of the Itaewon tragedy.
The Pope held Mrs. Lee’s hand and listened intently. He also blessed a banner with the victims’ photos that the family had brought.
Lee Sang-eun experienced the Itaewon tragedy while taking a Catholic catechism course. The family informed the Holy See of this and requested an audience with the Pope. The Holy See responded via electronic correspondence in February and May, indicating the possibility of a meeting with the Itaewon tragedy families during the general audience. A general audience is an official event where the Pope meets and interacts with believers every Wednesday morning, unless there is a special schedule.
Last month, the meeting seemed uncertain due to the death of Pope Francis, but it was realized with the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV. Mr. Lee’s father said it was a moving occasion, hoping that under the Pope’s blessing, 159 children would find peace in eternal rest. Cardinal Lazzaro You Heung-sik, Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy in the Vatican, also sent his blessings upon hearing the news of the family’s visit and audience with the Pope.
In the general audience that day, the Pope conveyed the message to believers from various countries that “the seed of God will bear fruit somehow.”