Pope Francis holds first Mass in South Korea
Reuters
2014-08-15
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Pope Francis his first Mass in South Korea on Friday (August 15) on the second day of his five-day trip to the country.
About 50,000 people gathered in Daejeon World Cup Stadium, about 180km (111 miles) south of Seoul.
Francis was greeted at the stadium by a festive crowd, with many in attendance wearing cardboard hats with the words "Viva il Papa, Francesco!" and an image of the pope.
Rapid economic growth has driven South Korea from the poverty of the aftermath of the 1950-1953 Korean war into the ranks of the world's richest nations, but deepened inequalities. Today, nearly half of the country's elderly are still impoverished.
Francis has made caring for the poor a central theme of his pontificate.
About 50,000 people gathered in Daejeon World Cup Stadium, about 180km (111 miles) south of Seoul.
Francis was greeted at the stadium by a festive crowd, with many in attendance wearing cardboard hats with the words "Viva il Papa, Francesco!" and an image of the pope.
Rapid economic growth has driven South Korea from the poverty of the aftermath of the 1950-1953 Korean war into the ranks of the world's richest nations, but deepened inequalities. Today, nearly half of the country's elderly are still impoverished.
Francis has made caring for the poor a central theme of his pontificate.
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