Even Sewol families surprised by pope’s yellow ribbon

With a yellow ribbon commemorating the Sewol tragedy pinned to his chest, Pope Francis presides over the Assumption mass at Daejeon World Cup Stadium, Aug. 15. (pool photo)

Pope’s decision to wear symbolic yellow ribbon during mass was a gesture of great consolation, victims’ families say

By Jin Myeong-seon, staff reporter

Pope Francis held his first mass in South Korea wearing a yellow ribbon on the left side of his chest to symbolize commemoration of the victims of the Sewol ferry sinking in April.

The Pope, who switched out his ceremonial robes for a cassock as he left for his next engagement on Aug. 15, pinned on the ribbon after receiving it from a participant while entering Asia Youth Day mass that afternoon.

Ten relatives of victims of the tragedy met with the pope in front of the vestry that morning just before his Assumption mass at the World Cup Stadium in Daejeon. They presented him handwritten letters and handkerchiefs, along with a yellow ribbon to symbolize the Sewol tragedy. Because of security issues, the items could not given directly to the pope, but were given to security guards in advance before the meeting.

After his meeting with the family members, the pope discovered the yellow ribbon while looking over the items and reportedly pinned it on his chest himself.

No one was more surprised than the families of the Sewol victims to see the pope wearing the yellow ribbon on the left side of his ceremonial garments.

“When we met him, I was trembling and so strained that I could barely stand,” said Kim Byung-gwon, head of the committee representing family members of victims in the tragedy. “When I saw him coming out with the yellow ribbon on, I thought, ‘We really are a family.’”

“I can’t describe how moving it was to see him acknowledge us like that,” Kim added.

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