Kim Taegon, Andrew died in 1846 just 13 months after ordination. He was arrested tortured and killed for helping priests come into Korea from China. He is now revered as the patron saint of all Korean priests, the first priest of a 60 year Catholic history.
Two editorials and articles in the Catholic papers show us the reasons he is an example of what is expected of a priest. His family was before conversion to the foreign religion, a wealthy and respected member of the Korean nobility. Conversion meant becoming fugitives and living in poverty.
One of the editorials mentioned the talk that Pope Francis gave to the bishops and priests in which he asked them not to strive for success and power in the way of the world. The reason he brought it to their attention: " Your Church is flourishing, a wonderfully evangelizing Church, and big Church."
Pope Francis, said the editorial, was concerned that the Church will be criticized for being too wealthy. He doesn't want the Church to ignore the poor, and be a Church for 'well being' a wealthy and indolent Church, and he is mainly addressing these words to the bishops and priests.
Poverty is not destitution. Doing less with what one needs is the beginning of a life of poverty. When we are not concerned with prestige and honors we are on the way to spiritual poverty. We need the material poverty but more so the spiritual poverty that we hear about in the 'Sermon on the Mount' in Matthew's Gospel.
The editorial ends asking for prayers for priests to follow the example of St. Andrew Kim. In his short life he was an example of poverty, and asks we pray that priests realize the joys that result from this type of life.
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