Recently, welcome news has been arriving in the Korean Church, stirring the hearts of the faithful who have long yearned for the beatification and canonization of certain figures. The preliminary inquiry for the beatification of the ‘Servant of God’ Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan has reached the stage of on-site investigation. Meanwhile, the healing case submitted for the beatification of the ‘Witness of Sweat,’ Venerable Father Thomas Choe Yang-eop, has passed the review of the Medical Board of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, thereby clearing the first hurdle in the examination of the miracle.
For the faithful who have long loved and remembered these figures—and others awaiting beatification—there could hardly be better news. How, then, can we nurture this joy and affection in a way that aligns with the Church’s intentions, and properly prepare for the day of their beatification and canonization?
Such preparation does not mean diminishing one’s love, but rather expressing that love in the correct manner taught by the Church. To this end, it is necessary first to understand the distinction the Church makes between ‘public worship’ and ‘private devotion.’ Public worship refers to acts offered in the name of the Church by a legitimately designated person, through actions approved by Church authority (Canon 834 §2). Such public veneration of saints and blesseds is permitted for those officially recognized by the Church. As stated, “Only those Servants of God who have been inscribed in the list of saints or blesseds by the authority of the Church may be venerated with public worship” (Canon 1187). Therefore, while private veneration—offered spontaneously by the faithful—is encouraged for “Venerable” figures and “Servants of God” who are still undergoing the beatification process, such veneration must not cross the line into public worship.
For instance, dedicating a church in someone’s name—that is, selecting a patronal name—clearly falls under the category of public worship. Section 4 of the guidelines for the Rite of Dedication (Chapter II of the *Rite of Dedication of a Church and an Altar*) explicitly states that the patronal name of a church to be dedicated must be one of the following: the Most Holy Trinity; a mystery or title related to the life of Our Lord Jesus Christ; the Holy Spirit; a title of the Blessed Virgin Mary; the holy angels; or the name of an officially recognized saint listed in the *Roman Martyrology* (*Martyrologium Romanum*). It adds the following stipulation: “The name of a Blessed may not be used without permission from the Apostolic See.” If even a “Blessed” requires special permission, it is all the more impossible to use the name of a “Venerable” or a “Servant of God”—stages preceding beatification—as a church’s patronal name.
What, then, can we do for a beloved “Servant of God”? There is much we can do. The Church encourages various forms of devotion within the realm of private veneration. According to the document “Forms of Veneration for Servants of God Undergoing the Beatification Process,” issued on September 12, 2025, by the Special Episcopal Committee for Beatification and Canonization of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, one may celebrate a Mass in honor of the Servant of God and include a prayer for their beatification within the Universal Prayer (Prayer of the Faithful) or at the conclusion of the Mass. One may visit gravesites or historical locations to pray for their beatification and canonization and to seek their intercession; recording the graces received in a visitor’s log is also encouraged. It is also possible to hold symposia or seminars in their honor, dedicate buildings, schools, or streets to them, and distribute prayer cards containing prayers approved by the competent ecclesiastical authority. There are so many ways to express our love. Yet, the Church asks us to hold back on that one final step—saying "not yet."
This is not a refusal, but a time of waiting. Just as the light of dawn draws nearer as the night deepens, and a well-crafted bamboo flute produces a deeper, richer sound, so too does patience yield fruit. On the day when the beatification and canonization of the Servants of God—including the Venerable Father Thomas Choe Yang-eop—are finally realized, we will at last be able to proudly and openly honor their names as patrons of our churches.
For the sake of that day, our task now is to slightly slow our eager steps of love and prepare for that holy, radiant morning in union with the Church. Reflecting on the timeless wisdom that love is often most fully realized through the ability to wait, we look forward with great longing to that day, in accordance with the teachings of the Church. Amen.
