Two Korean Deacons Receive Priestly Ordination Directly from Pope Leo XIV
While studying in Rome, two Korean deacons were honored with the exceptional privilege of receiving their priestly ordination directly from Pope Leo XIV.
Exceptional Honor
According to the Archdiocese of Seoul on the 1st, Deacon Angelo Lee Jae-hyun (Yangcheon Parish) and Deacon Francisco Ham Hyun-jun (Daechi Sacred Heart Parish) were ordained priests during a ceremony conducted by the Pope at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City on the 27th of last month (local time).
The new priests both obtained Master's degrees in Biblical Theology and Dogmatic Theology, respectively, from the Pontifical University of Urbaniana and are set to undertake pastoral activities as priests affiliated with the Archdiocese of Seoul.
Originally, they were scheduled to be ordained priests in February of next year at a ceremony organized by the Archdiocese of Seoul at Myeongdong Cathedral. However, Pope Leo XIV unexpectedly conducted this ordination during the "Year of Priests" event held at the Vatican from the 25th to the 27th of last month to commemorate the Catholic Church's "Jubilee."
On the last day of the event, which was the Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Pope decided to ordain deacons from around the world studying in Rome, resulting in a unique opportunity for 32 candidates, including Deacon Lee and Deacon Ham, to receive their priestly ordination from the Pope.
In Catholic tradition, a "Jubilee" is a special year of faith, repentance, and forgiveness, occurring every 25 years. This event is regarded as deepening the significance of that meaning.
Meanwhile, it is extremely rare for a Pope to directly ordain priests. In the history of Korean Catholicism, on May 1984, during the first visit of Pope John Paul II to Korea, 38 individuals, including then-Deacon Heo Young-yeop, received their priestly ordination from the Pope.
However, it is generally the case that ordinations—whether for priests or bishops—are conducted within each respective diocese, making encounters with the Pope a rare occurrence. Typically, one must be elevated to the rank of cardinal to conduct ordinations with the Pope at the Vatican ceremony.
Image source: Father Lee Jae-hyun (left) and Father Ham Hyun-jun (right) / Photo provided by the Archdiocese of Seoul, Pope Leo XIV / gettyimageskorea
