U.S.-North Korea relations key to papal visit, cardinal says

Pope Leo signaled openness to Korean peace role, cardinal says

Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-sik, 74, prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Clergy, made the remarks at the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea offices in Seoul’s Gwangjin district while visiting South Korea for his summer vacation.

“The possibility of Pope Leo XIV visiting North Korea depends on the position of the North Korean authorities,” You told reporters Friday. “Relations between North Korea and the United States are the most important factor.”

“If even a small door opens, it could become an opportunity to expand relations,” he said. “I hope that time comes soon.”

You said he had felt strongly after Leo’s election in 2025 that the new pope could play a role in promoting peace on the Korean Peninsula.

“When Pope Leo XIV was elected last year, I had a strong intuition that he would do something for peace on the Korean Peninsula,” You said. “When I shared that hope with him, he replied, ‘I hope that happens as well.’”

The cardinal’s comments follow South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s June 15 meeting with Pope Leo at the Vatican. Lee invited the pope to attend World Youth Day, which will be held in Seoul from Aug. 3-8, 2027. The possibility of a papal visit to North Korea was also discussed during that meeting.

You said conditions inside North Korea would have to change before a papal visit could realistically take place.

“There are Protestant ministers, Buddhist monks and Russian Orthodox priests in North Korea, but there is not a single resident Catholic bishop, priest or nun,” he said.

You said Catholics live in North Korea and some foreign diplomats posted in Pyongyang are also Catholic. Having one or two resident priests at Jangchung Cathedral in Pyongyang could help create an atmosphere more favorable to a papal visit, he said.

North Korea officially recognizes the Korean Catholic Association and maintains Jangchung Cathedral, but the Holy See does not have formal diplomatic relations with Pyongyang.

On the question of whether Pope Leo could appoint another South Korean cardinal, You said the decision rests entirely with the pontiff.

“A cardinal’s role is to advise the pope,” he said. “The appointment of cardinals is entirely at the pope’s discretion.”

You noted that Leo has not yet announced his first appointments to the College of Cardinals and said an announcement could come soon.

The Catholic Church in South Korea has produced four cardinals. Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan, who died in 2009, became South Korea’s first cardinal in 1969. Cardinal Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk died in 2021. Cardinal Andrew Yeom Soo-jung, the retired archbishop of Seoul, and You are the two surviving South Korean cardinals.

Attention has focused on Archbishop Peter Soon-taick Chung of Seoul as a possible future cardinal because he leads the country’s largest archdiocese and serves as president of the local organizing committee for World Youth Day Seoul 2027.

During his Vatican meeting, Lee conveyed the Korean Catholic community’s hope that a serving cardinal could be appointed to a diocese in South Korea. The pope responded that he would give particular consideration to South Korea’s circumstances if he appoints new cardinals, according to the presidential office.

On World Youth Day preparations, You said the Vatican and the South Korean Catholic Church are making steady progress. The gathering is expected to bring Catholic young people from around the world to Seoul for religious services, cultural events and meetings with church leaders. The main events traditionally include an opening Mass, a papal welcoming ceremony, the Way of the Cross, an overnight vigil and a closing Mass.

You called for government assistance with preparations, including more flexible visa requirements for international participants. He said the economic and diplomatic benefits generated by the gathering would exceed the value of the government assistance provided and said he hoped the event would leave young visitors with a positive impression of South Korea.

Asked about declining religious participation among young people, You said falling numbers of priests and candidates for the priesthood are concerns throughout the global Catholic Church.

“The first thing that is important is to listen carefully to young people and open our hearts to them,” he said.

Reporters also asked You about exorcism and Opus Dei. You said young people have shown considerable interest in priests authorized to perform exorcisms.

“As the examples of Jesus in the Bible show, the devil clearly exists,” he said.

He stressed that exorcism must never be connected with demands for money and said priests should avoid unnecessary physical contact during an exorcism, particularly when ministering to women, because such contact could raise ethical concerns or lead to misunderstandings. Under Catholic canon law, a priest may conduct a formal exorcism only after receiving specific authorization from the local bishop.

You also addressed questions about whether Opus Dei could receive greater prominence under Pope Leo as the church considers declining birthrates and family issues. He supported the establishment of Opus Dei activities in South Korea while serving as bishop of Daejeon but declined to speculate about the organization’s future position under the new pope.

“It is not a question that can easily be answered in one or two sentences,” You said. “There are complex discussions taking place within the Catholic Church.”