Cardinal Lazzaro You Heung-sik said whether Pope Leo XIV visits North Korea depends on Pyongyang's actions. The pope has expressed willingness to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Cardinal Lazzaro You Heung-sik made the remarks to reporters on June 15 after celebrating Mass at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome. President Lee Jae Myung attended the Mass.
"As I see it, it depends on North Korea," You said, adding that it is up to the North to invite the pope and set conditions. He quoted the pope as willing to "play a role for peace on the Korean Peninsula."
An American-born pope's visit could mobilize U.S. Catholic support and allow the Vatican a role in North Korea-U.S. relations, You noted. The late Pope Francis had also expressed willingness to visit the North.
