When Pope Francis touches down in Seoul on Thursday, he will be visiting a church whose homegrown roots, outspoken activism and missionary verve could offer lessons for countries where Catholicism is under pressure—and provide a possible opening for the Vatican's hopes to grow in Asia.
The pope's trip—the first pontifical visit to East Asia in nearly two decades—will throw a spotlight on a church that is small, but one of the fastest-growing in the world. The number of Catholics in South Korea has doubled since 1990 to 5.4 million, or just over 10% of the total population, with about 100,000 baptisms a year. The number of new priests has risen 17% since 2008 and many are young, in contrast to the sharp decline in priests in Europe. (See the latest updates on the Pope's trip to Korea.)
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