教宗方济各呼吁韩朝和解

Pope Francis ended his first visit to Asia Monday with a call for reconciliation between South Korea and its bitter communist rival, North Korea.

The pontiff issued his call for peace on the troubled Korean peninsula at a Mass at Seoul\'s Myeongdong cathedral that was attended by South Korean President Park Geun-hye.  He said reconciliation would only come through forgiveness, even though it may seem "impossible, impractical and even at times repugnant."

Catholic officials in South Korea urged Pyongyang to send a delegation from the state-run Korean Catholic Association to Seoul for the Mass, but the regime rejected the invitation, citing the annual joint military drills between South Korea and the United States, which also began Monday.

The North has vowed to launch a "merciless" preemptive strike against the South if the drills take place.

教宗在首尔的明洞教堂主持弥撒，呼吁在动荡不定的朝鲜半岛实现和平。韩国总统朴槿惠也在场聆听。教宗说，只有通过原谅才能实现和解，尽管原谅可能看上去是“不可能、不现实甚至有时是令人反感的”。

韩国天主教人士敦促平壤派遣官方操控的朝鲜天主教协会代表团到首尔参加弥撒，但平壤拒绝了这一邀请，理由是韩国和美国将举行年度联合军事演习。美韩军演于星期一开始。

朝鲜曾经誓言，如果美韩进行军演，朝鲜就将对韩国进行“无情的”、先发制人的打击。