Father Bang is renowned for fostering a distinctly Korean expression of Catholicism, emphasizing the use of the Korean language and cultural frameworks to spread the faith.
Newsroom (25/09/2025, Gaudium Press ) The Vatican has granted approval for the sainthood cause of Father Leo Bang Yu-ryong (1900-1986), a Korean Catholic priest celebrated for his pioneering efforts in promoting an “inculturated Christianity” in Korea during Japanese imperial rule, a time when foreign missionaries predominantly led the Church.
On September 24, Auxiliary Bishop Job Koo Yoo-bi of Seoul, chairman of the Archdiocese’s Commission for the Beatification and Canonization, announced that the Vatican issued a “Nihil Obstat” (No Objection) for Father Bang’s sainthood process. This clearance paves the way for Bang to be declared a “Servant of God,” the initial title for a sainthood candidate in the Catholic Church.
The Seoul Archdiocese will now undertake a rigorous process to advance Bang’s cause, including the systematic collection of evidence and testimonies to demonstrate his heroic virtue and reputation for holiness. A historical commission will lead this effort, while theologians will meticulously review Bang’s writings to confirm their alignment with Catholic faith and ethics.
Born on March 6, 1900, into a Catholic family in undivided Korea, Bang was baptized by French missionary priest Victor Louis Poisnel. His early life was marked by Christian persecution under the Joseon dynasty and later Japanese imperialism. Entering a seminary in 1917, he was ordained a priest in 1930 and served primarily as a parish priest.
Father Bang is renowned for fostering a distinctly Korean expression of Catholicism, emphasizing the use of the Korean language and cultural frameworks to spread the faith. His vision led to the establishment of the Congregation of Sisters of the Blessed Korean Martyrs on April 21, 1946, at Gae Seong Catholic Church (now in North Korea), followed by the Clerical Congregation of the Blessed Korean Martyrs on October 30, 1953, the first native male religious order in Korea.
Bang passed away on January 24, 1986. The Seoul Archdiocese is now working to complete a diocesan preliminary examination of his life and contributions, which will be submitted to the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Causes of Saints. The dicastery will evaluate the materials and advise the pope on Bang’s worthiness, potentially leading to his declaration as venerable, blessed, and ultimately a saint. For non-martyrs like Bang, canonization requires two verified miracles attributed to the candidate.
The Seoul Archdiocese is also pursuing sainthood for two other prominent figures: Bishop Barthelemy Bruguiere (1792-1835), the first apostolic vicar of Korea from the Paris Foreign Mission Society, and Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan (1922-2009), Seoul’s archbishop from 1968 to 1998 and the first Korean cardinal, elevated by Pope Paul VI in 1968.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from UCA News
Related Images:
