Bishop Yoo Kyung-chon Timotheus, the younger brother of former Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yoo In-chon, has passed away at the age of 63.
According to the Archdiocese of Seoul, Bishop Yoo passed away at 12:28 AM on the 15th at the Catholic University of Korea Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital due to illness.
He had been battling illness, having undergone surgery last year to remove parts of his bile duct, duodenum, and pancreas due to bile duct cancer, and had been receiving chemotherapy.
Born in Seoul in 1962, Bishop Yoo graduated from Seoul Catholic University and studied abroad at the University of Würzburg in Germany after completing his military service. He was ordained a priest in January 1992 by the Archdiocese of Seoul and later obtained a Doctorate in Theology from the University of St. Georgen in Frankfurt, Germany.
He served as an assistant priest at the Mok 5-dong parish in the Archdiocese of Seoul, a professor at Catholic University (Seminary), director of the Integrated Pastoral Research Institute of the Archdiocese of Seoul, parish priest at Myungil-dong, and auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Seoul.
On December 30, 2013, he was appointed auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Seoul by Pope Francis, and in February of the following year, he was officially consecrated as a bishop, serving as the head of social pastoral care for the Archdiocese of Seoul and as the vicar for the eastern region of the diocese.
Bishop Yoo is also the brother of former Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yoo In-chon.
The funeral home has been set up in the underground chapel of Myeongdong Cathedral, the bishop's seat. The funeral mass will be held at 10 AM on the 18th at Myeongdong Cathedral, co-celebrated by the Korean bishops' conference and the priests of the Archdiocese of Seoul, with the main celebrant being Archbishop Jeong Soon-taek of the Archdiocese of Seoul.
[Lee Da-gyeom, Star Today reporter]
