[KS] Roman Catholic Troubles in the North

[Franklin Rausch]

Dear Korean Studies List Members,

I appreciate Frank's kind comments about my work.  In response to questions about the fate of Father Wilhelm, it's my understanding that he agreed to depart from Hwanghae Province for a time as a result of the Haeso Incident, but was back by late 1903.  While he was gone, a large number of Hwanghae Province Catholics either left the faith or ceased to actively practice it.  While the Korean government might not have been particularly fond of Wilhelm, he did help the Japanese colonial state by convincing "Righteous Army" soldiers to lay down their arms.  It's probably for that reason that the Kwantung Government General was willing to allow Wilhelm to meet An Chunggun while the latter was awaiting execution for the killing of Ito Hirobumi.  I examine this issue somehwat in my article "The Bishop's Dilemma," which is published in the April 2013 issue of The Journal of Korean Religions.  Jo Hyeonbeom of the (Catholic) Korean Church History Institute has done some excellent work on Wilhelm, as seen in this article:
Cho Hyŏnbŏm.  “An Chunggŭn ŭisa wa Pillem sinbu: kijon saryo ŭi chaekŏmt’o rŭl chungsim-
ŭro [An Chunggŭn and Father Wilhelm: a reexamination of the basic sources].”  In An Chunggŭn yŏn’gu ŭi sŏnggwa wa kwaje [Issues in the Study of An Chunggŭn], edited by An Chunggŭn Ŭisa Kinyŏm Saŏphoe, 350-378.  Seoul: Ch’aeryun, 2010.

I don't have his article in front of me, but I believe that Cho looks more at Father Wilhelm's life after his departure from Korea after the annexation (which I believe was mostly the result of him alienating his fellow Catholic missionaries).

Yours truly,
Franklin Rausch

--
Dr. Franklin D. Rausch
Assistant Professor of History
Department of History & Philosophy
Lander University
Office:  LC 352
320 Stanley Avenue
Greenwood, SC 29649-2099

________________________________
From: Koreanstudies [koreanstudies-bounces at koreanstudies.com] On Behalf Of Brother Anthony [ansonjae at sogang.ac.kr]
Sent: Wednesday, September 04, 2013 9:33 PM
To: Frank Hoffmann; Korean Studies Discussion List
Subject: [KS] Roman Catholic Troubles in the North

The outrageous 1903 conflict between Catholics (apparently encouraged by Fr Wilhelm) and Protestants is documented in great detail in the Review (for obvious reasons, since Hulbert was the editor). The index lists a number of pages: "Roman Catholic troubles in the north 22, 22r, 25, 73, 77, 115, 121" and the whole year's issues can be read in a single PDF file at http://hompi.sogang.ac.kr/anthony/KoreaReviewFulltextVolume3.pdf  or by monthly issues through http://hompi.sogang.ac.kr/anthony/KoreaReview/index.html All sorts of fascinating stuff there, including the idea that Catholic converts enjoyed extra-territoriality and were not subject to Korean law. There was some question of Korea demanding the departure of Fr Wilhelm, so I always wondered what happened to him.

Br Anthony