Religion: Papal Nod to a Christian Boom

Protestants and Catholics are thriving in the "Hermit Kingdom "

"Is it not a joy indeed to have a friend come from afar?" Gracefully quoting those words from Confucius, Pope John Paul II last week began a five-day visit to South Korea,* a land where exuberant Christianity today all but overshadows Confucianism. The welcoming ceremony for the Pontiff was sedate, since Seoul's airport had been swept virtually clean of onlookers. Extraordinary security preparations, caused in part by assassination threats, were everywhere evident—and perhaps necessary. Sunday morning, three days after his arrival, the Pope was...