Bishop Dubong laid to rest

[Anchor]

The funeral mass for Bishop Dubong Lenado, a Frenchman who dedicated his life to farmers and the underprivileged in Korea, was held today (4.14).

He was respected by the local community beyond religion and was also called 'Little Jesus.'

Reporter Kim Ji-hong looks back on the life of the deceased.

[Report]

Bishop Dubong Lenado is seen smiling brightly in the photo.

The funeral mass to bid farewell to Bishop Dubong, who passed away at the age of 96 on Apr. 10, was solemnly held.

[Kwon Hyuk-joo/Bishop/Head of Andong Diocese: "He lived a life of giving and sharing unconditionally with the poor."]

Bishop Dubong, originally from France, was sent to Korea as a missionary right after the Korean War.

As the first head of the Andong Diocese, he established facilities for Hansen's disease patients and always stood by the side of the poor and marginalized.

In the late 1970s, he was ordered to be expelled by the Park Chung-hee regime while defending a farmer who was wrongfully accused, but his spirit could not be broken.

In recognition of his contributions to community development, he was granted special citizenship of South Korea in 2019.

[Seo Soon-ja/Yongsang-dong, Andong, Gyeongbuk: "He loved his parishioners very much and was like a living Jesus."]

Bishop Dubong's last words before passing were "Thank you, really thank you."

[Late Bishop Dubong Lenado/Sept. 2015: "If you give peace to others, you will receive peace as a gift. If you want to live happily, you should give happiness to others."]

In accordance with his wish to remain in Korea even after death, Bishop Dubong was laid to rest at the Gyeongbuk Yecheon Clergy Cemetery.

This is KBS News, Kim Ji-hong.