Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk (; 7 December 1931 – 27 April 2021) was a South Korean Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as

Archbishop of Seoul The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Seoul (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Metropolitae Seulensis'', ko, 서울대교구) is a Metropolitan archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church comprising the metropolitan area of Seoul, So ...

from 1998 until he retired in 2012. He was previously Bishop of Cheongju from 1970 to 1998. He was made a cardinal in 2006.

Biography

Cheong Jin-suk briefly studied chemical engineering at the Seoul National University before entering the

seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy ...

in Seoul, from where he later obtained his bachelor's degree in theology, in 1954. After studying

sociology Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of empirical investigation an ...

in Hong Kong, he was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform ...

to the priesthood by Archbishop Paul Roh Ki-nam on 18 March 1961 at the Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul. Cheong then did pastoral work in Seoul until becoming a professor at its

minor seminary A minor seminary or high school seminary is a secondary day or boarding school created for the specific purpose of enrolling teenage boys who have expressed interest in becoming Catholic priests. They are generally Catholic institutions, and de ...

and

notary A notary is a person authorised to perform acts in legal affairs, in particular witnessing signatures on documents. The form that the notarial profession takes varies with local legal systems. A notary, while a legal professional, is disti ...

of its archdiocesan curia in 1962. He was chancellor of the curia and

undersecretary Undersecretary (or under secretary) is a title for a person who works for and has a lower rank than a secretary (person in charge). It is used in the executive branch of government, with different meanings in different political systems, and is al ...

of the Catholic Conference from 1964 to 1965, and episcopal chancellor and vice-

rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

of the Minor Seminary from 1966 to 1967. He then earned a degree in

canon law Canon law (from grc, κανών, , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members. It is th ...

, studying at the

Pontifical Urban University The Pontifical Urban University, also called the ''Urbaniana'' after its names in both Latin and Italian,; it, Pontificia Università Urbaniana. is a pontifical university under the authority of the Congregation for the Evangelization of People ...

, from October 1968 to 1970. On 25 June 1970, Cheong was appointed the second Bishop of Cheongju by

Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his death in Augus ...

. He was the youngest bishop in Korea at the time. He received his

episcopal consecration A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

on the following 3 October from Archbishop Kinam Ro, with Bishops James Pardy, MM, and Peter Han Kong-ryel serving as co-consecrators, in the Church of the Holy Family in

Cheongju Cheongju () is the capital and largest city of North Chungcheong Province in South Korea. History Cheongju has been an important provincial town since ancient times. In the Cheongju Mountains, specifically in the one where Sangdang Sanseong is ...

. He was elected to a three-year term as president of the Korean Episcopal Conference in 1996. Cheong was appointed the third

on 3 April 1998. In addition to his duties in Seoul, he was made

Apostolic Administrator An Apostolic administration in the Catholic Church is administrated by a prelate appointed by the pope to serve as the ordinary for a specific area. Either the area is not yet a diocese (a stable 'pre-diocesan', usually missionary apostolic adm ...

of P'yong-yang on 6 June of that same year.

Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the soverei ...

created him

Cardinal-Priest A cardinal ( la, Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae cardinalis, literally 'cardinal of the Holy Roman Church') is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. Cardinals are created by the ruling pope and typically hold the title for life. Col ...

Santa Maria Immacolata di Lourdes a Boccea Santa Maria Immacolata di Lourdes a Boccea is a 20th-century parochial church and titular church in Rome, dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes. History The church was built in 1958, the centenary of the first Lourdes apparitions, for the Suore de ...

in the

consistory Consistory is the anglicized form of the consistorium, a council of the closest advisors of the Roman emperors. It can also refer to: *A papal consistory, a formal meeting of the Sacred College of Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church * Consistor ...

of 24 March 2006. Cheong was appointed to the executive committee of the

Pontifical Council for the Family The Pontifical Council for the Family was a pontifical council of the Curia of the Roman Catholic Church from 1981 to 2016. It was established by Pope John Paul II on 9 May 1981 with his motu proprio ''Familia a Deo Instituta'', replacing the Com ...

on the following 6 May, and to the Council of Cardinals for the Study of the Organizational and Economic Problems of the Holy See on 3 February 2007. He was later appointed a member of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. On his 80th birthday, 7 December 2011, Cheong lost his curial memberships. His resignation as archbishop was accepted by Pope Benedict XVI on 10 May 2012 and he was succeeded by Andrew Yeom Soo-jung. Cheong died at Saint Mary's Hospital in Seoul at the age of 89 on 27 April 2021. He had celebrated sixty years of his priesthood the previous month. He had been admitted to hospital on 21 February with critical health issues such as breathing difficulties and a slight fever and his successor Cardinal Yeom Soo-jung administered the Anointing of the Sick on 22 February. By the first week of March, Cheong's condition seemed to improve upon the removal of life-sustaining equipment, barring the intravenous, with reports that his blood pressure and oxygen levels were gradually returning to normal. He was adamant that he would not have any surgery, nor would he remain connected to any equipment that would prolong his life. He also signed up for organ donation in the event of his death.

References

External links

*
Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cheong, Nicholas, Jin-suk 1931 births 2021 deaths Pontifical Urban University alumni 20th-century Roman Catholic archbishops in South Korea 21st-century Roman Catholic archbishops in South Korea Roman Catholic archbishops of Seoul Clergy from Seoul South Korean cardinals Pontifical Council for the Family Cardinals created by Pope Benedict XVI Roman Catholic bishops of Pyongyang Roman Catholic bishops of Cheongju