**”Upon the news of his passing, we see serene peace… The Pope did not wish for sorrow.”**
**”As the prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy, I will strive to emulate the Pope’s footsteps.”**
Italy’s largest daily newspaper identifies Cardinal You Heung-sik as a strong candidate for the papacy.
On August 27, 2022, in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, Pope Francis embraced Cardinal You Heung-sik after placing a ‘biretta’ (a red ecclesiastical hat) on him during a cardinal appointment ceremony. Cardinal You, the prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Clergy, reflected on Pope Francis, who passed away on the 21st of last month, by saying, “Pope Francis genuinely loved Korea.”
Cardinal You recalled on the 23rd, “Pope Francis deeply lamented the division in Korea, expressing his willingness to visit the North if it could ease the immense pain of separated brothers and families, signifying his extraordinary affection for Korea.”
He continued, “In the Pope’s prayers concerning Korea, both the South and North were included. He believed that reconciliation and peace indicate God’s goodness, and we should continue the ‘good work’, as the Pope urged.”
He added, “Even when his time on earth was nearing its end, his continual meetings with people demonstrated a form of resurrection, providing us with hope and courage to approach others in a new light.”
Regarding Pope Francis’s passing, he shared, “Instead of grief, pain, or loneliness, I find a serene peace. The Pope wanted us to be at peace rather than mourn.”
Pope Francis appointed Cardinal You as the Prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy in June 2021. Previously serving as the Bishop of Daejeon, You was promoted to Archbishop upon his appointment. His appointment marked the first time a Korean has been named to the position in the history of Korean Catholicism.
Reflecting on his work with Pope Francis, Cardinal You expressed his intention to align closely with the Pope’s vision for the church and clergy by stating, “Observing the Pope closely, who emphasized that without renewing the clergy, we cannot expect to renew the church, I aim to move forward thinking deeply about what he envisioned for the church and the clergy.”
He added, “I endeavor to emulate the Pope’s way of listening intently to others, thinking together, and seeking solutions at their level.”
Cardinal You has been named as a strong candidate for the next pope by Italy’s largest daily newspaper, Corriere della Sera. The election for pope includes cardinals under the age of 80, and Cardinal You is 74. The publication chose a total of 12 strong candidates for the upcoming conclave, including Asia’s Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle (Philippines) alongside Cardinal You.
The media described Cardinal You as a member of the Focolare Movement, known for his efforts to promote dialogue between the North and South.
Cardinal You was born in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province, in 1951, baptized at 16, and studied philosophy and theology at Catholic University in Seoul. He moved to Rome in 1976, was ordained a priest in 1979, and received a Ph.D. in dogmatic theology from the Pontifical Lateran University in 1983. He also served as the chairman of the Korean Bishops’ Peace Committee, having visited North Korea four times.