South Korean Catholics held a Mass on Saturday in memory of late former Pope Benedict XVI, remembering and praising, in particular, his past keen interest in establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula.

The Mass, organized by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea and Catholic priests in the country, was held at Myeongdong Cathedral in central Seoul and was attended by Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick, the archbishop of Seoul, and Alfred Xuereb, the Apostolic Nuncio to South Korea, among others.

CBCK President Bishop Mathias Lee Yong-hoon, who officiated the Mass, said the death of Pope Benedict XVI "weighs heavily" on the hearts of all Catholics. He added the community also finds comfort in "knowing and believing that the late Pope will continue to pray for us in the house of our Heavenly Father."

The president also stressed the late Pope had also prayed for peace on the Korean Peninsula and showed deep interest in related issues, such as resolving the long-standing matter of separated families between the two Koreas.

Benedict, who served as the head of the Catholic Church from 2005 through 2013, died last Saturday in the Vatican monastery at the age of 95. He retired for health reasons to become the first Catholic pope to abdicate in 600 years. (Yonhap)