They include 30 bishops, who are members of the pope's entourage, and 60 bishops from Asian countries.
The papal entourage includes Cardinals Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state; Fernando Filoni, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples in the Roman Curia; and Stanislaw Rylko, head of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, an official of the committee told reporters at the Myeongdong Cathedral in central Seoul.
Other bishops to accompany Pope Francis on his first visit to Asia are Cardinal Oswald Gracias, head of the Federation of Asian Bishops Conferences (FABC), and those from Japan, Myanmar, the Philippines, Mongolia and Laos, the official said.
During his visit from Aug. 14 to Aug. 18, Pope Francis plans to attend a meeting of Asian Catholic youths, carry out a beatification ceremony for the 124 Korean martyrs, hold a meeting with Asian bishops and celebrate Masses for peace and reconciliation.
Pope Francis would be the second pontiff to visit the country. The late Pope John Paul II traveled to Seoul twice – one in 1984 and the other in 1989.
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
