The Korean edition of Pope Francis’ "green" encyclical came out on 1 September, World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, which the pontiff had specifically convened. Prelate said that the Church has tried to make the country “understand that the relationship between nature and man” has to be based on love. East Asian bishops met In Hong Kong to find a common position.

Daejeon (AsiaNews) – The publication on 1 September of the Korean edition of Laudato si’ On care for the common home was met by success in terms of sales.

The date chosen was not random but corresponded to World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, which the pope had specifically convened and celebrated for the first time this year.

The first edition was 5,000 copies, the president of the Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace Mgr Lazzaro You Heung-sik told AsiaNews.

“They sold out in no time,” so publishers "decided to print a second edition, another 5,000 copies, which also sold in no time. A third edition came out with 10,000 copies, all sold. It is now in its fourth printing.”

“We are very satisfied with this result, because somehow the pope spoke in Korean to Koreans and they have listened with great attention."

The encyclical seems to have outsold the apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, which became a best-seller in two weeks as well.

“We presented the tome at a press conference that was widely followed,” Mgr You said. The book’s success "is due to the fact that Francis speaks like a father and uses a language everyone can understand”.

“The main thing was to pass on the concept of the common house,” he added. “What we need is a total conversion; we need to change our lifestyle."

It is important, he went on to say, "for the country to understand that the relationship between nature and man is created by God, who is love. Therefore, we must live together and need mercy to transform the exploitation of resources into a responsible and lovingly management of what the world offers us.”

“For our part, as Catholics, we want to lead this change: less consumption and a new way of life closer to the Gospel."

The issue does not touch South Korea alone. "Last week, we met in Hong Kong with the bishops of East Asia: Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, and Korea,” the bishop of Daejon said.

“We were about 40, and we took part in a beautiful meeting. We studied how to put Laudato si’ in practice at the regional level, and we are thinking about a joint plan to propose to our governments."

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