The Western Confucian comments on this story in a left-wing South Korean newspaper about the dramatic increase in conversions to the Catholic faith in that country. The article reveals its own biases with quotes like:
Previously, Catholicism looked to convert so-called heretics with their missionary work, and expressed an intolerant, self-righteous, exclusive, and imperialistic attitude until around the 1930s-'40s…
However, the facts behind the story are wonderful news. The fact that the Church continues to grow in missionary lands is a powerful testimony that the Holy Spirit is still leading souls to Christ.
Why such dramatic growth in Korea? The early Christian writer Tertullian said "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church." At at least 10,000 believers gave their lives for the faith during 19th century persecutions, and now Korea has the fourth-highest number of canonized saints in the world.
Just across the 38th parallel, our North Korean brothers and sisters in Christ continue to suffer for the faith . All religions are officially outlawed, and there are no Catholic clergy. After fifty years in the catacombs , there are still an estimated 4000 Catholics in North Korea. These modern-day martyrs need our prayers, and perhaps we need theirs even more.
