President Moon Jae-in, left, shakes hands with Pope Francis before the start of their face-to-face meeting, Thursday night, in Vatican City. AP-Yonhap



By Kim Yoo-chul

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis accepted a handwritten letter from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, delivered by President Moon Jae-in, Thursday, inviting him to visit Pyongyang.



"During a meeting between President Moon Jae-in and Pope Francis held behind closed doors at the Vatican, the pope said he was waiting for an official invitation from Kim Jong-un, adding he could visit the North," chief press secretary Yoon Young-chan said in a media briefing late Thursday (KST).



"The pope told President Moon that he would immediately respond to the invitation once he officially receives one," Yoon continued.



The specific timing of such a trip, if it occurs, was not mentioned, although ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Chairman Lee Hae-chan said recently that the pope "was aiming to visit North Korea next spring."



If the visit takes place, it will be the first time for a leader of the Catholic Church to step foot in the North.



"President Moon met Pope Francis for 37 minutes. The pope said the Vatican strongly supports the peacemaking process on the peninsula and told President Moon that he should move forward with the ongoing denuclearization process. He also told the President that there was no need to be afraid," Yoon said.



The Vatican has no official diplomatic relations with North Korea. Pyongyang's constitution purportedly ensures "freedom of religion" as long as it does not undermine the state, although no openly religious activities are allowed.



It is unknown whether the Vatican will insist on North Korea accepting Catholic priests in the country as a pre-condition for a papal visit, something that has long been a prerequisite for an improvement of its relations with the North.



Pope Francis has long taken a less-absolutist approach in the Holy See's diplomacy as seen by a recent agreement over bishop nominations signed with China. The North is estimated to have around 2,500 Catholics, compared to more than 5.5 million in South Korea.



"You told me that dialogue is the only way for a resolution of all conflicts. I bear that mind every time I encounter difficulties. As a result, I laid the ground for a permanent peace with U.S. President Donald Trump and the North's Kim," Moon was quoted as saying by Yoon.



Pope Francis has been emphatic about the right and wrong ways to address international conflict. His "diplomacy of encounter" has reaped some rewards. He concluded a tour of Colombia that helped to shepherd through a peace agreement the Church brokered between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).



In 2014, the pope also hosted American and Cuban negotiators in Rome to seek a diplomatic accord after an 18-month impasse. In a previous interview with CNN, President Moon said he was against any deployment of nuclear weapons in South Korea, and hoped denuclearization could be achieved within a "similar Catholic framework" with the pope's assistance.



The Vatican's solid support for President Moon's push for peace on the peninsula is seen as a huge plus in his efforts to win more backing from the international community, and specifically European countries. Moon is using his nine-day trip to European capitals to try and build a consensus to keep the momentum for the denuclearization process alive, Cheong Wa Dae officials told The Korea Times.



A day before the meeting, President Moon delivered a speech at a "Mass for Peace" in St. Peter's Basilica that was presided over by the pope's top diplomat, Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.



In his homily, Parolin prayed for the "gift of peace" on the Korean Peninsula so that "after so many years of tensions and division, the word peace can come out fully."



Moon responded by saying he was "very certain peace could be achieved on the peninsula." A Catholic himself, Moon spoke at the end of the mass, saying prayers recited there would turn into reality.



Later at a banquet, Cardinal Parolin said he appreciated Moon's efforts to keep the denuclearization talks alive, and his role in setting up June's summit in Singapore between Kim and President Trump.



"For me, praying for peace on the peninsula here at the Vatican and delivering a speech to prayers was like a dream. I am so honored to do this. We will achieve peace and overcome separation) without fail," Moon told Parolin during the banquet, Yoon said.