Catholic Church in North Korea

Jangchung Cathedral in North Korea was built in 1988. I made the footage the same year on Easter Day. People inside were a bit confused seing a foreigner with video camera.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• North
• Korea
• DPRK
• Religion
• КНДР
• Северная
• Корея
• Религия
• 北朝鮮

[residentfan2]

How did you get to this church? My understanding is those outside the country cannot travel anyplace with an escort and cannot go anywhere without the escorts permission.

[ivanzakharchenko]

If you live in North Korea you can go anywhere without an escort in Pyongyang and its surburbal areas.

[cannibalgourmet]

You could really be putting these people in danger by showing thier faces.

[ivanzakharchenko]

You kidding? It was a legal service. Stop believing that they can be put in jail for attending church.

[jacobins3000]

what was the sermon about? Do they actually talk about the bible or just Kim jong il?

[ivanzakharchenko]

It was Easter. They didn't talk about KJI.

[breyman913]

There has not been a living Roman Catholic Priest in North Korea since at least the 1960's. On very rare occassions foreign Roman Catholic priests that are parts of cultural or educational tours are permitted to celebrate the Liturgy. But the one I was able to speak with thought the congregation was primarily for "show." Religious freedom is an illusion in North Korea.

[windonyourback555]

It was grotesquely inappropriate for you to film these people during a service. You have absolutely zero decency as a person. These folks risk being martyrs to their faith by showing up. How would you feel if some Catholics schlepped into a service of you faith. If you have a faith, if any of these people were harmed as a result of this film, their blood will be on your hands.

[Val77ification]

It looks like they were so confused at your presence, ivan, that they forgot to do the sign of the cross, or even genuflect to the tabernacle before leaving their pews. Where are the robes for the priest? Why was there no procession? Seriously, this does not resemble a mass in the least sense, except there happens to be a picture of the Virgin Mary up there, and something resembling an altar. I've traveled to several different countries in the world, and the mass is the same everywhere.

[rokfam]

the church is probably not in full union with rome, but so what? neither are the churches in Hong Kong or China. Better for them.

[MaoistRebelNews2]

@AnarchistGoth They're lying, its not banned they have a Christan political Party in the government, the Chondoist Chongu.

[AnarchistGoth]

Lemme get this straight. Christianity is outlawed in NK but not Catholicism?

I'm confused.

[xxxdieselyyy2]

@breyman913 ----------->Nice! That means science teachers can teach evolution in peace?

[TheBuzzo01]

@breyman913 atehist irrational ?:DD lol atehist =scientific advancement.religious =superstition anti-science.

[lunafringe10]

i dont dwell on religious matters anymore since i was 12. I realized it leads to nowhere, i was always a bit precocious. The way to survive in this world. See what

happens in the next.

[TheRougeHawksClan]

@lunafringe10 Faith isn't irrational if its founded upon reason.