The number of Catholics watching Sunday Mass on social media and television is increasing in South Korea.
According to a report published by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference in South Korea, the number of viewers from the Catholic Peace Broadcasting Corporation on the special YouTube channel that digitally broadcasts live liturgies and pastoral events has increased in the last year. Given the health protocols in place, many Catholics have generally chosen to attend mass online, the report said.
However, this trend raises pastoral concerns. “Many church members of our parish churches have striven to participate in Eucharists streamed on televisions and YouTube amid difficulties stemming from COVID-19, but the value of in-person worships, the core of Catholic life, should not weaken”, says a note from the Bishops’ Conference.
Of the country’s total population of 52.9 million, the Roman Catholic population accounts for 11.2 percent. The number of Roman Catholics here was 5,923,300 as of the end of 2020, up only 8,631, or 0.15 percent, from the previous year, according to the annual statistics compiled by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea (CBCK). The Bishops say they understand the widespread concern among the people about health problems and therefore the decision, made by many, not to physically attend church masses. The data also showed that baptism cases plunged 62.6 percent on-year in 2020 to 30,285, while the number of marriages recognized by the Catholic Church fell 43 percent to 7,915. The statement by the Korean bishops said that in 2021, too, the attendance of believers in church services will be low, given the recent development of the pandemic situation in the country. In doing so, the bishops point out that online or television services cannot be a complete substitute for a celebration attended by local believers. The human and interpersonal relationship, which is concrete and real, is fundamental to the Christian faith and cannot be replaced by a virtual or digital relationship. Like Pope Francis, the bishops recall that in the digital environment, “sacraments cannot be administered virtually. For this reason, as soon as the health crisis calms down and the pandemic data improves, the Church of Korea will encourage believers to return to the churches.
