Pope Leo XIV names new auxiliary bishop at Suwon diocese

▲ This photo, provided by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea, shows Rev. Jermanus Kwak Jin-sang, who has been appointed as an auxiliary bishop of the Suwon diocese. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Catholic church-auxiliary bishop

Pope Leo XIV names new auxiliary bishop at Suwon diocese

SEOUL, Dec. 20 (Yonhap) -- Pope Leo XIV has appointed Rev. Jermanus Kwak Jin-sang as an auxiliary bishop of the Suwon Diocese in South Korea, the Apostolic Nunciature to Seoul said Saturday.

Kwak, 61, was ordained as a Catholic priest in February 1993 after graduating from the College of Theology at the Catholic University of Korea. He began his pastoral ministry as an assistant priest at a parish in the Suwon diocese.

He later earned a master's degree in practical theology and a doctorate in systematic theology from the Catholic University of Paris.

With the latest appointment, the number of active Catholic bishops in South Korea has risen to 42, including three archbishops, 21 bishops and 18 emeritus bishops.

Established in 1963, the Suwon Diocese is one of the 16 dioceses of the Catholic Church in the country.

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