Role of the Laity in the Catholic Church of Korea

Lay Catholics have significant influence not only within the Korean Catholic Church but also on politics, economy and the Korean society at large. They have served as pioneers in pro-life movements and environmental protection.

One of the leading organizations of lay Catholics is “Catholic Lay Apostolate Council of Korea (CLAK).” In the late 1960s, lay persons started to practice their faith outside of the boundary of the Church with the recognition of the importance of lay apostolate. Such a move gave rise to the establishment of CLAK in 1968 which, since then, has taken the lead in addressing various social problems including family, life and environment. Over the course of last four decades, the Council has expanded its presence into politics, economy and education and is also paying keen attention to the peace on the Korean peninsula.

However, the activities of the lay faithful are not confined to the Council. Lay Catholics are engaged in various types of organizations and campaigns in Korea. A case in point is “Prolife,” an organization established by a group of Catholic doctors to raise awareness of life in the 1990s when abortion came to the fore as one of the most controversial issues.

Along with the members of Prolife, a number of Korean Catholics have raised their voice against abortion, encouraging Catholic organizations to engage in anti-abortion and pro-life movements. Prolife has positioned itself as an organization that sees life from doctor’s perspective and carries out campaigns to protect life in light of medicine, life ethics, life science and gender ethics. The organization continues to be on the vanguard of protection of life and promotes the participation of non-Christians in the pro-life movements.

Another example of social campaigns initiated by the Catholic laity is “One-body One-spirit Movement.” This campaign is promoting organ donations which have not been very active in the Korean society. Started as a small act of some Catholics, it grew to become a nationwide movement led by the late Cardinal Stephen Kim on the occasion of the 44th International Eucharistic Congress in Seoul which was held in the spirit of respect of life and practice of sharing. It has been playing an instrumental role in saving people’s lives through blood & eye donations.

On top of this, the laity of the Korean Catholic Church is also taking action to address environmental degradation resulting from rapid industrialization. They have spared no efforts to raise people’s awareness of environmental issues and promote participation of communities through a series of campaigns. Such activities have significant implications in that they went beyond the boundary of the Church to become social movements in Korea nationwide.