Russian Orthodox Want a Church in Seoul

In recent months the Russian Embassy has asked for a piece of land to build a Church in Seoul; a request written up in recent Korean newspapers. The relationship of the Russian Government to the Russian Orthodox Church is intimate. There aren't many democratic countries that would ask a foreign government to help build a Church. A ministry official said, if Russia insists, it could be a drawback for Korea-Russia relations, which will mark its 20th anniversary next year.

The Russian Orthodox Church in Korea has a very turbulent history. The first Church was constructed in the central area of Seoul and was named in honor of St. Nicholas. It was built with a gift from the emperor, and destroyed during the Korean War. The Russian government has on a number of occasions asked the Korean Government for land to build a church in the capital city--they have one in north Korea built in Pyongyang in 2006.

The spot that Russia has in mind is the former Russian legation, where Emperor Gojong(1852-1919) took refuge for one year to escape the Japanese who were planning to assassinate him. The place is now designated as one of the nation's Historic Sites.

Russian Orthodoxy is the dominant religion in Russia. There's no Russian Orthodox Church currently open in Korea, and Russian residents in Seoul have to go to another part of the city where they use the Greek Orthodox Church for the liturgy.

The initial request was made by the head of the Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Alexy II during President Lee Myung-bak's visit to Russia in September of 2008. President Lee is known to have said he'd consider it.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade followed up on the request by asking the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism if they would agree to the proposal - both rejected it."Fundamentally, the request is against the Korean Constitution that states the separation of church and state," said an official at the ministry and added it isn't in line with religious parity.

The Catholic Church of Korea does not have a close relationship with the Russian Orthodox because of their sporadic presence in Korea. However, the climate between Rome and Moscow is probably the closest it has been in centuries. It would be a nice gesture if the Catholic Church could facilitate this acquiring of property in Seoul, but it is an issue with many problems.

The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church met on December 3 with Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard, Archbishop of Bordeaux. Welcoming the delegation His Holiness Kirill stressed the importance of dialogue with the Roman Catholic Church. He recalled that both in Russia and France, Christians had to go through severe hardships caused by revolutionary events and attempts to build the life of society without God. "Today we encounter the challenges of secularism. It is necessary to meet them together, basing ourselves on historical experience," he said.

We do not know when nor where nor even if there is going to be an Orthodox Church built with the help of the Korean Government, but there will be an Orthodox Church some day in Seoul, and the Korean Catholic Church will be welcoming of their presence.